Delhi man dies after assault at night club, 8-year-old son awaits father's return

An eight-year-old boy who is still waiting for his father to return home has been asking his mother why a tent has been put up outside their house, after his father died following an alleged assault by bouncers and the manager of a nightclub in Delhi, police said.The victim, 29-year-old Daljeet, had gone to the club with friends when a dispute reportedly broke out after beer allegedly spilt on the manager's wife.Police said five people, including the club manager, his wife and three bouncers, have been arrested in connection with the incident, which took place late on Saturday at Tor House nightclub near Ashok Park Metro station. Daljeet, a driver and the sole breadwinner of his family, is survived by his wife Pooja, their eight-year-old son and his father.Speaking about her son's questions, Pooja said, "He hugs me and cries, asking for his father. What do I tell him now? He keeps asking why there is a tent outside our house. I just cried and told him it was not ours". She said the family was struggling to explain the loss to the child. 'When we were taking him to the hospital, my son made me promise that I would bring his father home safely. I told him his father was in the hospital. What do I tell him now?' she said.Recalling the last hours before her husband's death, Pooja said she had repeatedly tried to call him, but his phone was unreachable. "I was about to leave the house to look for him when I went downstairs and saw him lying on the ground, seriously injured. I helped him get upstairs, changed his clothes and let him sleep. When I checked on him in the morning, he was unconscious," she said.She alleged that Daljeet had been beaten badly with sticks and blows aimed at his head and jaw. "He was beaten mercilessly and drowned in water repeatedly. They hit him on his head and jaw. They used sticks and blows to kill him. He died at home," she alleged.Seeking action, she said, "My son keeps asking for his father. I want justice. I have lost my husband because of these people. These bouncers are murderers, and strict action must be taken against them".According to police, Daljeet had gone to the nightclub with five to six friends for a party when some liquid spilt on a woman, triggering a verbal altercation with the club manager.Bouncers were then allegedly called in and the assault followed. Police said Daljeet and his friends allegedly apologised and pleaded with the accused to stop, but the attack continued, with more bouncers and waiters joining in. The group was allegedly assaulted with sticks and glass bottles.Daljeet's friends alleged that when they tried to escape, the bouncers dragged them back inside and assaulted them again. They also claimed water was poured on the group during the assault, with Daljeet's face covered.He suffered severe injuries, including a fractured jaw. His friends, including Nishu and Pawan, eventually brought him to his home in Raghuvir Nagar, where he collapsed near the entrance. He was taken to Guru Gobind Singh Hospital, where doctors declared him dead.Sunny, one of Daljeet's friends who suffered a minor head injury, said the assault was captured on CCTV footage and described it as horrific. The friends also alleged that one of the accused brandished a firearm and that cash and two mobile phones were taken from the group.Police said they have seized the nightclub's digital video recorder and are examining the footage to piece together the sequence of events and identify others involved.They are also looking into allegations that a police response vehicle reached outside the club after a control-room call but left without conducting an inquiry.Police are checking whether the nightclub had the required permissions to operate late at night, and records have been sought from the Excise Department and the Licensing Branch as the investigation continues.The case centres on the death of Daljeet after an alleged assault at the nightclub, the arrest of five people, and the family's account of the events that followed, as police examine CCTV footage, the club's permissions and the response to the emergency call.- Ends