Bhubaneswar/Sambalpur, Nov. 6: Laxmi Sagar police today arrested four employees of a restaurant-cum-bar on the National Highway 203 connecting Cuttack to Puri for attacking customers following an argument over bill payment.

They were sent to Jharapada special jail after a local court rejected their bail pleas.

Three persons suffered injuries in the brawl between the two groups. The complainant Debesh Pattnaik suffered severe injuries. Other two injured were Pattnaik’s friend Santosh Biswal and hotel employee Bisworanjan Sahu.

Police said Pattnaik and Biswal had got a bill of Rs 1,200. When they wanted to pay by card, the hotel staff did not agree and a heated exchange followed.

“Later, the hotel staff beat up Pattnaik and Biswal and injured them,” said a senior police officer.

Following a complaint from Pattnaik, the police registered a case against the hotel staff under various sections of the Indian Penal Code.

The arrested hotel staff members were identified as Ashok Jena, 26, Bisworanjan Sahu, 19, Durga Prasad Bhuyan, 19, and Prashant Padhiary, 20.

“We forwarded them to court in the afternoon today,” said inspector in charge of Laxmi Sagar police station Saroj Patel.

Two detained

Police today detained two criminals, who had fired at a 17-year-old boy in a small restaurant at Lapanga following a quarrel.

The victim, Guru Meher, who is the restaurant owner's son, was sitting at the cash counter when the two youths, who are in their twenties, came on a motorcycle. They asked Guru to vacate the chair for them. He refused to oblige and asked them to occupy the chairs meant for customers. This annoyed the goons, who had an altercation with Guru.

Suddenly, one of them whipped up a pistol and fired at Guru. Before people could react, the two managed to escape on their motorcycle.

The bullet hit Guru’s right thigh. He has been shifted to Veer Surendra Sai Medical College and Hospital at Burla. His condition is stated to be critical.The police have seized seven rounds of live ammunition, a motorcycle, six tiger nails and a revolver from the youth. The two are alleged to be criminals and involved in several criminal activities in Jharsuguda and Samabalpur district.

Additional superintendent of police Dilip Kumar Deo said: “We are interrogating them and suspect their involvement in the incident.”