NEW DELHI: Delhi’s reputation as a city on short fuse was again reinforced on Saturday night, when the son of an Army man shot at a youth outside a west Delhi eatery because he was “speaking too loudly”.

The attack came five days after a man was stabbed to death at a food stall in south-east Delhi’s Okhla wholesale market for not paying a bill of Rs 200. In east Delhi’s Sunlight Colony the same day, a customer poured boiling oil on a momo stall owner when asked to pay for a plate of momo.

On Saturday night, the assailant, Nitesh Yadav, who was having dinner inside a car, lost his cool and allegedly shot at a young man with his father’s pistol for arguing too loudly with the food stall owner.

A youth, Jagat, was shot at for “speaking too loudly” outside an eatery near the main Janakpuri market. The Jagat, and his friends had arrived for dinner and were refused food as the stall owner had shut shop for the day. The youths got into an argument demanding dinner, saying other customers were still having their dinner.

During the exchange of words, another customer, Nitesh Yadav, who was having food with his friend Lakshay inside a Maruti Swift car parked nearby, called Jagat and asked him to keep quite. Nitesh even offered to sort out the dispute.

When Jagat turned down the offer, Nitesh pulled out a pistol and shot at him but missed. Police said Nitesh has been arrested.

Hearing the gunshot, the other customers fled but Jagat managed to call the cops, who arrived from the Janakpuri police station. They arrested Nitesh and Lakshay from the spot and recovered the pistol along with three live cartridges.

During interrogation, Nitesh said the gun belonged to his father, Lal Singh Yadav, a non-commissioned officer with the Army. He had taken the gun from his father as a retainer. He claimed to have a B Tech degrees and said he ran a transport agency in Janakpuri.

Nitesh told police that he had shot Jagat as he was angry with him for speaking too loudly and refusing to take his help in sorting out the matter with the restaurant owner. A case of attempt to murder under section 307 IPC and the arms Act was registered against him.

