Noida restaurant owner shot dead over delay in order; 3 arrested

The owner of a restaurant in Greater Noida near Delhi was shot dead over a delay in delivery of an order on Tuesday night. The police arrested three accused men on Wednesday after an encounter.

On Tuesday night, a scuffle broke between a Swiggy agent and the restaurant staff over delay in an order of chicken biriyani and 'poori subzi'. Eventually, the owner of the restaurant came to mediate between the delivery agent and the staff.

The three accused men, who were on a bike, stopped and approached the delivery agents standing nearby to inquire about the food, the police said in a statement. On seeing the fight between the Swiggy delivery agent and the owner, the three men, who were drunk, jumped into the fight and allegedly shot the owner in the head, the police added.

Initial reports suggested the Swiggy had shot the owner, however, the police later clarified that three accused confessed to the crime.

Swiggy said in a statement, "We are saddened by the demise of our restaurant partner and our deepest condolences are with his family members. Basis information received from the police as of this evening, the three accused who have been apprehended for the crime are not related to Swiggy in any way. This matter is still under investigation and we are extending our full cooperation to the police."

The delivery platform added that all delivery partners on Swiggy go through thorough background verification including a background check for court records.

Clarification: Initial reports suggested that the Swiggy delivery agent had shot the owner. The copy has been updated with police's statement issued later in the day.