Gurugram: Abdul, the shop owner who was burned alive on May 4 due to an altercation over supplying of cigarettes has succumbed. His murderer is still at large.
The 58-year-old had suffered 80 per cent burns when a man in the inebriated state set Abdul's kiosk on fire while he was sitting in it. The incident took place on in IMT Manesar after a fight over outstanding payment for cigarettes, police said.
"When Abdul asked the suspect to clear his debt for two cigarettes and a beedi, he started arguing and tried to steal money from the cash box. Before the victim could react to the sudden attack, the suspect started throwing petrol from a bottle he was carrying and set Abdul's kiosk on fire," sub-inspector Tejpal, IMT-Manesar police station, said.
The victim's son, Mohammad Imtiaz, said the suspected tempo driver was in an inebriated condition and had planned the attack as he was carrying a petrol bottle with him on Saturday.
"The night before, when he was abusing my father and refusing to pay for the cigarettes, my father did not indulge him and kept quiet. He then went across the street and asked a fruit vendor to give him bananas for free. He got into an altercation and was slapped twice by the vendor, following which he left," Imtiaz said.
On Saturday, Imtiaz said an hour after his father opened his shop, the accused man created a ruckus and after trying to steal from the cash box, threw petrol on the kiosk and set it on fire.
"My father was engulfed in flames due to the combustible items in the kiosk. We put out the fire with help from neighbours and rushed him to a private hospital in Manesar. Later, he was referred to Safdarjung Hospital in Delhi where he lost his life," said Imtiaz.