Rajkot: A 73-year-old vegetable vendor was allegedly beaten to death by two people with an iron rod in Patri village of Mundra taluka in Kutch district on Tuesday.The victim, Abdullah Pathan, had gone to Patri in his rickshaw to sell vegetables at around 4.30pm when the accused, Imtiyaz Halepotra and Hardeepsinh Sodha, intercepted him. Imtiyaz assaulted Abdullah with an iron rod, inflicting serious injuries to his head, near the ear and eye, and on his hands and legs.Abdullah was rushed to the Mundra Government Hospital, where he succumbed.Preliminary investigation revealed that the victim and both accused are residents of Kundrodi village in Mundra taluka. Police said the attack was allegedly triggered by an earlier dispute in which Abdullah had reprimanded the accused for stopping and harassing motorists passing near his house. The accused are suspected to have nursed a grudge over the incident and allegedly attacked him in retaliation.Abdullah, who was selling vegetables for the past nine years, is survived by three daughters and two sons.Based on the complaint lodged by the deceased’s son, Pragpar police in Kutch West have registered a case against Halepotra and Sodha and efforts are on to trace them.
