Businessman injured in firing at pub

One of the partners in the pub business suffered injuries after two unidentified men opened fire at him on the premises of Times Pub on Residency Road late on Sunday night.

Chethan alias Akhtar Sami, 42, who suffered injuries on his back, was rushed to Mallya Hospital. He is being treated in the ICU and his condition is said to be serious, police said.

The assailants had gained entry into the pub posing as customers. It is not known if the attack took place over old rivalry or business dispute. There is specific lead about one of the assailants who would be arrested shortly, police said.

“Two rounds of fire were opened. One penetrated Chethan’s back, while another hit the wall. We have sent a team to Chethan’s native place Mangaluru to study his background and ascertain if he had rivalry with anybody,” DCP (central) Sandeep Patil said.

Chethan, in partnership with a few friends, is running the pub for the last few years. 
The assailants entered the pub at 10 pm. They consumed beer, waiting for an opportunity to attack Chethan who was moving from counter to counter. They spotted Chethan moving towards a room after speaking to a few guests.

The two followed him and shot him in the back from close range. Chethan realised that he had not suffered injuries in his vital organs and tried to rush to safety. The duo stood at the gate and opened another round of fire at him.

However, the bullet missed the target and hit a wall.

The attackers then escaped, police said.

Chethan was immediately rushed a nearby hospital. The  pub was heavily crowded when the incident took place. Nobody else was injured in the firing.

The police will analyse footage from CCTV cameras in the area to establish the identity of the two.

They have collected footage from the CCTV camera in the pub.