Jaipur bakery owner fights for life after assault, probe launched as video surfaces

A bakery and café owner in Jaipur’s Vaishali Nagar was brutally attacked by unknown assailants late on November 5, leaving him critically injured, the police said.

In a video of the incident from around 11.45 pm, Mayank Gopaliya is seen walking on a road when two men approach him from behind and assault him with sticks. As the first stick hits his head, Gopaliya collapses on the road, and the men continue to hit him at least six more times before escaping.

In the video, two other people are also seen waiting on two two-wheelers for the accused to return after assaulting Mayank. After beating him with sticks, the men rush to the two waiting vehicles and ride pillion before all four make their escape. Locals later spotted Gopaliya and rushed him to a hospital.

Gopaliya runs ‘Oven the Bakery and Café’, which has branches in Jaipur and Ahmedabad. After the attack, the café stated that “his condition is very critical and he is currently admitted in Fortis Hospital”.

“We request the police to take strict and immediate action so that the culprits are arrested at the earliest,” it said.

Vaishali Nagar Station House Officer Arvind Singh Shekhawat said that, prima facie, the issue relates to a woman employee at the café and her friend, who used to frequent the establishment, with “Gopaliya objecting to his visits”. The friend had allegedly threatened Gopaliya before leaving.

Shekhawat said one of the suspects may be the woman’s friend, but clarity will come only once the accused are apprehended. The SHO said the police have yet to make any detentions and the investigation is ongoing. A case for attempt to murder was lodged at the Vaishali Nagar police station on Sunday, when the video of the assault surfaced.

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Hamza Khan is a seasoned Correspondent for The Indian Express, specifically reporting from the diver... Read More