UP: Eight booked as couple jump from pizza outlet amid alleged right-wing harassment

Police have booked eight men after a man and a woman jumped from the second floor of a pizza outlet in Shahjahanpur while trying to escape a group that allegedly accosted them inside the premises, officials said on Sunday.

An FIR has been registered against three named persons and five unidentified individuals in connection with the incident that occurred on Saturday evening near the Bareilly turn, under the Kant police station area, police said.

According to the police complaint, the couple was seated inside the outlet when seven to eight men, described by the complainant as members of a Hindutva organisation, allegedly entered the establishment and demanded identity documents from them.

Superintendent of Police Rajesh Dwivedi told PTI that the injured man, Vishal, a resident of Puwayan, alleged that the group misbehaved with the couple and began recording videos, triggering panic.

Fearing for their safety, the woman allegedly jumped out of a window from the second floor. Vishal followed in an attempt to rescue her, the SP said.

Both sustained serious injuries in the fall and are undergoing treatment, police added.

Based on Vishal’s complaint, the police registered a case against Pravesh, Sonu and Harshit, along with five unidentified persons, under relevant sections of the law, officials said.

Dwivedi said investigations are underway to identify the remaining accused and ascertain the sequence of events through CCTV footage and witness statements.

In the aftermath of the incident, the police have ordered surprise checks at pizza outlets across the city. Outlet operators have been instructed to remove enclosed cabins, avoid the use of curtains and ensure the installation of transparent glass panels to improve visibility, the SP said.