At least 12 unidentified persons have been booked for allegedly assaulting a man and his sister, both in their 20s, after the siblings confronted a group for allegedly eve-teasing the woman outside their family’s eatery in Dehlon on Sunday night.The complainants suspect that the assault could also be a fallout of an ongoing business rivalry with the tavern operator. (HT File)The complainants alleged that the accused then stormed the eatery, vandalised the premises, struck their father, the owner of the establishment, on the head with an iron cooking stove, decamped with ₹50,000 from the cash counter and damaged CCTV cameras before fleeing.According to the complainants, the siblings help their father run the family eatery on the 200-Foot Road. They alleged that a group of men who regularly gathered at an illegal liquor-serving spot opposite their eatery frequently harassed the woman whenever she was present at the dhaba.The siblings claimed that they had repeatedly objected to the alleged harassment and asked the men to stay away from their eatery. However, the objections allegedly triggered repeated confrontations.The complainants told police that around a dozen men barged into their eatery armed with bricks, stones and glass bottles on Sunday night. “They ransacked the eatery, vandalised chairs, tables and other items while creating panic in the locality. During the attack, the assailants struck our father on the head with a stove, leaving him seriously injured. Before fleeing, they also stole ₹50,000 from the cash counter,” the complainants told police, adding that the attackers also damaged the CCTV camera installed inside the restaurant with a brick.However, according to the complainants, the camera recorded nearly one-and-a-half minutes of footage before it was damaged, capturing crucial visuals of the incident.Head constable Arpit Pasu, the investigating officer, said police visited the spot, inspected the crime scene and collected evidence, including photographs of the vandalised restaurant. “A case has been registered against 10 to 12 unidentified accused under Sections 332-C (house-trespass committed with the intent to commit an offense), 115 (2) (voluntarily causing hurt), 117 (2) (voluntarily causing grievous hurt without it resulting in permanent disability or a vegetative state), 324 (2) (Mischief), 351 (2) (criminal intimidation),191 (2) (rioting), 75 (1) (defines the criminal offense of sexual harassment) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Raids are underway to identify and arrest the accused,” he said.The complainants suspect that the assault could also be a fallout of an ongoing business rivalry with the tavern operator.