A man was arrested after he allegedly threatened a mobile phone shop owner with a pistol and assaulted him during a dispute in Hazratganj, police said on Thursday.
The incident took place around 9.54 pm at Shriram Tower, a busy commercial building in the city centre. The accused was identified by police as Vivek Singh.
According to a complaint lodged by shop owner Kavish Adit, who runs a mobile phone store in partnership with another trader, Singh had visited the shop to purchase a mobile phone when an argument broke out between the two sides. The dispute soon escalated, the complaint alleged.
A video of the incident, which later surfaced on social media and went viral, purportedly shows the accused abusing the shop owner and brandishing a pistol during the altercation.
In his complaint, Adit alleged that Singh fired a shot, though no one was injured. He further claimed that the accused repeatedly struck him on the chest with the pistol and threatened to shoot him.
“The accused pressed the pistol against my chest and threatened to kill me,” Adit alleged in the complaint.
The entire episode was captured on CCTV cameras installed inside the shop. Hearing the commotion, nearby shopkeepers and customers rushed to the spot, after which the accused left the premises, according to the complaint.
The incident triggered anger among traders operating in the commercial complex, who later gathered at Hazratganj police station and alleged that police action was delayed despite being provided with details of the accused, including his mobile phone number, vehicle registration number and photographs.
