Hotel owner, staff booked for assaulting food delivery rider

KARACHI:

A dozen people - including a hotel owner and his employees - have been booked for allegedly assaulting an online food delivery rider and his colleagues, Ferozabad police said on Saturday.

In his written complaint to police, the victim, Muhammad Shehzad, stated that he had gone to a hotel near Hill Park Chowrangi on Shaheed-e-Millat Road on May 1 to collect an order when the incident took place.

Shehzad alleged that the hotel owner - identified as Ali - deliberately delayed handing over the order. When he objected, stating that riders are given a limited time of five minutes per delivery, the hotel owner reportedly became enraged.

He further stated that Ali, along with 10 to 11 staff members, allegedly subjected him to severe physical assault, including kicks and punches.

During the incident, two other food delivery riders, Khalid and Saleem, who were passing by and witnessed the assault, intervened. However, they were also allegedly beaten by the hotel owner and his employees. The victim further claimed that gunshots were also fired during the altercation.