Mid-Day

Mumbai, May 26: Petrol pump attendant Varun Pathak’s dreams of joining the army died with him on Wednesday. Pathak (20) was killed by Mulchand Rai (42), a rickshaw driver, over Rs 4.40.

Rai felt Varun had wrongly charged him Rs 55.40 instead of Rs 51, while filling CNG at a pump on SV Road, Khar. The two argued, after which Rai punched Varun in the stomach. Colleagues rushed an unconscious Varun to Bhabha Hospital in Bandra, where doctors declared him dead before admission.

Deepak Singh, among those who rushed him to the hospital, said, “The incident took place at 6.30 pm. We carried Varun in Rai’s rickshaw to the hospital. Since there were no external injuries, we could not believe he was dead. The police arrested Rai and we took Varun’s body to Cooper Hospital for post- mortem.” It, however, is not clear if the deceased had actually short-changed Rai.

Varun was married and had been working at the petrol pump for the last two years, He, however, hoped to join the army someday. On the very day he died, Varun learnt that he had passed his HSC exams from Jaunpur in Uttar Pradesh.

“He was very happy. He called me at work and asked me to buy some gulab jamuns — his favourite mithai — on my way home,” recalled Arun, Varun’s elder brother, who works for a transport company. When Arun reached home with the sweets, he was told to rush to the hospital.

“Varun celebrated his first wedding anniversary last week. He was ambitious and wanted to be successful. I don’t know how to break the news to his young college-going wife,” said Arun.

Assistant Police Inspector Nisikant Tangre of Khar police station said Rai has been charged with murder.  He has also been  remanded to police custody till June 1.
 
What? Rickshaw driver punches petrol pump attendant to death
Where? SV Road, Khar
When? On Wednesday
Why? Argument over Rs 4.40