'Free soup' business rivalry turns violent: Pune eatery owner attacked

A 27-year-old food stall owner in Maharashtra's Pune city was injured after he was attacked allegedly by his business rival who was miffed with his "free soup" offer to lure customers, police said on Thursday.

The incident took place on Monday in Khadaki area where the victim and the accused ran their food outlets, they said.

The victim - Mulayam Pal - introduced an offer of "free soup" before food in a bid to attract customers, an official from Khadaki police station said.

"According to the complaint filed by the victim, the scheme attracted customers, but it did not go down well with Siddharth Bhalerao and his partner Digvijay Kachare, who also operated an eatery next to Pal's. The accused used to have a verbal spat with Pal over this," he said.

On February 6, when the victim was having food at a snack centre near his stall, Bhalerao allegedly hit him on the head with a sharp weapon and Kachare threatened him and hurled abuses, the official said.

Based on the complaint, the police have registered a case against the two accused under Indian Penal Code Section 326 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapons or means) and other relevant provisions, he said.

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