AGRA: A 25-year-old shopkeeper was allegedly shot at by a group of men in

of Uttar Pradesh after the former asked them to pay Rs 5 for the 'gutkha' that they had purchased from his shop.

According to police, the incident took place on Tuesday night around 9.20pm when the suspects, Deepak, Tikanna, Pota, and Fauzdar, went to a shop run by the victim, Chotu Agarwal, in Aligarh, to buy a gutkha worth Rs 5. When Chotu asked them to pay for the pouch they had bought, they refused to pay.

Besides, they took Rs 250 from his cash box and thrashed him, when Chotu confronted them. A local resident, Amit, who was standing nearby, came for the victim’s rescue.

The suspects then opened fire at Chotu. He is admitted to a local hospital.

According to the eyewitness, Amit, the suspects also threatened him to kill his family members, if he filed any complaint against them.

An FIR has been registered against the suspects under sections 307 (attempt to murder) and 394 (Voluntarily causing hurt in committing robbery) of IPC at Tappal police station on Wednesday, on the basis of a complaint filed by an eyewitness, Amit, said Superintendent of Police (rural) Manilal Patidar.

He said further investigations are on and they would soon nab the suspects.

A similar incident took place in

Mathura

two months ago, when a UP police constable was booked by the cops for allegedly beating a shopkeeper, who later succumbed to his injuries after he had asked for Rs 5 for the gutkha that was bought by the policeman.