A mentally-ill waiter allegedly stabbed a roommate to death, injured six other colleagues and later committed suicide at a Pune-based hotel in the wee hours of Friday
A mentally-ill waiter allegedly stabbed a roommate to death, injured six other colleagues and later committed suicide at a Pune-based hotel in the wee hours of Friday.
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The incident took place at Kuber Garden Bar and Restaurant in Mangalwar Peth and it came to light when the injured waiters ran outside for help. It were the policemen in a patrolling van who noticed the waiters and rushed them to a hospital.
Though the police went to nab the attacker, he had already ended his life by allegedly hanging himself from a ceiling fan. The accused was identified as Poonam Ghosh (33) alias Beedan, who hails from West Bengal and was residing at the hotel.
A case was registered against Ghosh under Sections 302 (murder), 324 and 326 (hurt by dangerous weapons), among others of the Indian Penal Code. He was also booked under relevant sections of the Arms Act, 1959.
The police will be informing the court that Ghosh has already committed suicide.
Eyewitness speak
Speaking to mid-day, Raju Padray, one of the injured waiters and the complainant, who also hails from West Bengal, recalled, “We had closed the hotel and were fast asleep. I heard Bharata Khadka, a Nepali, screaming and we all rushed to his room.
He was stabbed in the neck, and there was a knife in Ghosh’s hand. When I questioned him, he slashed my hand and stabbed me in the stomach. Later, five waiters tried to stop him but he grabbed another knife and attacked them as well.
He had knives in both hands and kept attacking us.” He added, “We are in shock, as we never interacted with him. He attacked us without provocation.”
Cop speak
Inspector Rekha Salunke, in-charge of Faraskhana police station, said, “The accused, Ghosh, hails from West Bengal and was an introvert and had recently returned from his hometown.
Primary investigation revealed that Ghosh was suffering from some kind of mental disorder, as he used to talk to himself and laughed alone. He never spoke to anyone during his six-month tenure at the hotel where he worked.”
She added, “It looks like when the injured waiters ran for help, Ghosh locked his room and strangulated himself with a rope that he tied from the ceiling fan.
We are investigating the case to exact the motive behind him taking the drastic step. All six injured are stable and our team is recording their statements.”
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