Nagpur: A 50-year-old saree shop owner was allegedly assaulted by a group of seven to eight unidentified men at his shop in the Mahal area following a dispute over a saree refund, police said.

The incident took place on October 18 at Parag Saree Collection, located beside Kalyaneshwar Temple and White House Beer Bar under the jurisdiction of Kotwali police station. The injured shop owner, Mohan Ramesh Katle (50), was subsequently taken to Mayo Hospital for treatment.

According to the police complaint, a woman, Shubhangi Pravin More (24), and her mother, both residents of Sanjay Gandhi Nagar near Datta Kirana Stores in Hudkeshwar, purchased seven sarees from Katle’s shop on October 16. They returned the following day to exchange the sarees, and the shop owner reportedly replaced them.

On October 18, the woman allegedly returned to the shop and demanded a refund for one of the sarees. This led to an argument between her and Katle. During the dispute, More allegedly abused the shop owner’s wife. Subsequently, More and Katle’s wife approached Kotwali police station and lodged non-cognisable complaints against each other.

Police reportedly counselled both women and sent them back after resolving the immediate dispute.

However, later that day, a group of seven to eight unidentified men, believed to be between 20 and 30 years old, allegedly arrived at the shop. They entered the premises, formed an unlawful assembly and confronted Katle, asking him why he had assaulted Shubhangi.

The group allegedly punched and beat Katle on his face, nose and other parts of his head, leaving him injured. When his wife raised an alarm, the attackers fled the scene.

Based on Katle’s complaint, Kotwali police registered a case under the relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The identities of the accused were not available in the police report, and further investigation is underway.