NEW DELHI: Denying ice cream, it seems, could prove fatal in the capital, where murders over trivial disputes and wagers have steadily climbed the crime graph. Enraged at a waiter for ignoring his repeated requests to slip him a wedding treat, a 38-year-old security guard fired a smoke cartridge at a wedding on Saturday, causing severe burns in his thighs.

The waiter, 18-year-old Ravi Raj, was taken to hospital after the firing around 4am, while Hari Om , the guard, fled the farmhouse in Mundka, west Delhi.

While cops said the guard fired merely to scare the 18-year-old Ravi Raj, smoke cartridges have been known to leave victims with fatal burn injuries.

Raj told police that he was busy attending to guests when Hari Om, who was standing near the entrance of the banquet hall, asked him to bring ice cream for him. "Raj paid no attention to his repeated requests. This infuriated Hari Om and he fired a shot in the air to intimidate Raj. The excessive smoke burnt Raj in his thighs. Hari fled the spot fearing arrest," said V Renganathan , additional CP (west). Hari Om, who belongs to a nearby village, was arrested later in the day.

Raj, a resident of Baljeet Nagar in Delhi, is undergoing treatment at Sanjay Gandhi Memorial Hospital for burn wounds in his thighs. His condition is stable.

A case under sections 336 (act endangering life or personal safety of others) and 27 Arms Act was registered at the Mundka police station against Hari Om. His licensed .12 bore double barrel gun was seized and sent to forensic experts.

Police statistics show 15-19% of all murders in the capital are due to sudden provocation on trivial issues. Last year, almost 17% of murders were triggered by frivolous disputes.

"Many murders in the past two years took place in a fit of rage. Most of those who committed a murder neither had a criminal motive nor were they criminals. In fact, over 85% of the persons arrested till June 30 on murder charges this year are novices," said a senior officer.