Young man stabbed to death after minor spat over paan masala in Gujarat, 3 arrested

A minor dispute over paan masala turned fatal in Gujarat’s Rajkot city, where a young man was allegedly stabbed to death near a paan shop on October 13. The victim, Paresh Chauhan, was attacked with a sharp-edged weapon near the Deluxe Paan Shop at Aastha Chowkdi on the 150-foot Ring Road, police siad.Police have arrested three accused, including Anil alias Kano Parmar, Dharmesh alias Radhe Rathod and a minor, in connection with the murder.According to the police, the incident followed an altercation involving Paresh and the accused over paan at the shop.The argument reportedly escalated into a physical confrontation, culminating in Paresh being stabbed multiple times. He later succumbed to his injuries while undergoing treatment at a private hospital. HOW THE DISPUTE ESCALATEDAccording to the complaint filed by the deceased’s family, Paresh was sitting with his friends Hardik Rathod, Kuldeep Vaghela, Pankaj Rathod, Meet Vaghela and Avinash Vaghela near the Deluxe Paan Shop on October 13 when Kano arrived with a friend on a two-wheeler.An argument broke out between Paresh and Kano’s companion for reasons that were initially unclear. The disagreement escalated into a scuffle, with Kano and the man accompanying him allegedly getting into a physical confrontation with Paresh. Kano subsequently returned with a knife and allegedly began stabbing Paresh indiscriminately. The complaint further alleged that Radhe held Paresh and urged Kano to stab him. Radhe and another person also allegedly assaulted Paresh with punches and slaps.Some of Paresh’s friends fled the spot, fearing the attackers. Avinash Vaghela subsequently called an ambulance through the 108 emergency service. Paresh was taken to Giriraj Hospital for treatment, but he succumbed to his injuries.NEARBY CCTV CAPTURES ATTACKRajkot city police said the control room received information on October 13 that a man had been seriously injured in a sharp-weapon attack near the Deluxe Paan Shop at Aastha Chowkdi.Police personnel from the Rajkot city taluka police station reached the spot after receiving the alert.The injured man was taken to a private hospital, where the doctor on duty declared him dead. During the investigation, police examined CCTV footage from the area, which captured the incident.Paresh’s father, Tabhaji Chauhan, subsequently lodged a complaint at the taluka police station against four individuals, including Kano and Radhe. A case was registered under Section 103(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and other relevant provisions.THREE ACCUSED ARRESTEDPolice investigations indicated that the dispute originated with an argument between Paresh and Kano over paan at the shop.Kano allegedly discussed the incident with his minor friend, who then informed Radhe about it. Radhe and the others subsequently went to the shop, where another confrontation took place.According to the preliminary findings, Paresh attacked the accused with a stick during the altercation. The accused allegedly retaliated by attacking him with a knife, leading to his death.Police have arrested Kano Parmar, Radhe Rathod and the minor in connection with the case.Further investigation is underway to establish the precise sequence of events, identify the roles of those involved and determine the circumstances that led a seemingly minor dispute to turn deadly.- Ends