Over an argument while paying the liquor bill, three customers were brutally beaten by the staff of a bar situated in Pune's Bibwewadi area, police said on Tuesday. The incident took place around 12:10am at SK Restaurant and Bar, they added.

According to the police, the accused have been identified as Aizaz Mulla, Surebull Shaikh, Assiruddin Shaikh, Vishal Wadgi, Samrat Islam, Pradeep Thombare, Seeriyat Mandal and Tauhin Shaikh, all natives of West Bengal who reside in Bibwewadi. They have been booked and taken into custody by the police.

Victims Omkar Aandlak, Ajay Nayak and Gajanan Khude, residents of Upper, Bibwewadi, have been admitted to Bharati Vidyapeeth Hospital.

According to the police, the victims went together to consume alcohol at SK Restaurant and Bar. After consuming alcohol, two of them went outside the bar and were standing there. However, Ajay was still present inside the bar. Meanwhile, a waiter approached their table and pulled the tablecloth off. While pulling the tablecloth, a beer bottle purchased by them fell and broke. A heated argument occurred between Ajay and the restaurant staff. He refused to pay the bill for the broken bottle. The argument turned violent, and all three of them were beaten by the restaurant staff with bats and bamboo sticks, leading to serious injuries.

Raj Kumar Shinde, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone 5), speaking to The Free Press Journal, said, "The accused have been taken into custody and will be produced in court. The issue over the bill turned into a physical altercation between the hotel staff and victims. We have issued a notice against the owner of the bar. The tenant verification is under process. The matter is under investigation, and accordingly, action will be taken against all the accused. Regarding the matter, a case has been registered at Bibwewadi Police Station under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita."