48-year-old fruit vendor in coma after assault by gym trainer, 10 friends in bar in Bengaluru

BENGALURU: A 48-year-old fruit vendor has been in a coma for the last five days after being brutally assaulted by a gym trainer and his 10 friends following a brawl in a bar and restaurant in Chandra Layout.Venkatesh, a resident of Attiguppe in west Bengaluru is on a ventilator in a private hospital. Chandra Layout police have arrested two people - gym trainer Arjun, 32, and his friend Pradeep, 30 over the incident.According to a complaint filed by the victim's wife Rathna, Venkatesh's friend called her post-midnight on May 27 and informed her that her husband was attacked and was admitted to a private hospital. On rushing to the hospital along with her children, she found him bleeding profusely from his mouth and nose. He was unconscious.She quoted Venkatesh's friends as saying they were talking in the bar about finding a commercial space for their business when Arjun, who introduced himself as a gym trainer, approached them. Arjun said he was looking for a 5000-square-foot space to open a gym. When he learned Venkatesh's sons went to the same gym, he pressured Venkatesh to show him a property immediately and demanded his phone number.Venkatesh, realising Arjun was drunk and aggressive, refused and said they could discuss the matter in the morning. Arjun allegedly abused him and tried to assault Venkatesh, but his friends managed to push him out of the bar.Arjun returned 20 minutes later with his friends. They stormed into the bar, dragged Venkatesh out, and repeatedly punched and kicked him on the road, injuring him in the head, face, chest, and back, the complaint said. They threatened to kill him and mocked him while he was taken to the hospital. They also attempted to attack his friends.The gang followed Venkatesh to the hospital and created a ruckus, prompting the staff to warn them of calling police. He was shifted to another private hospital where he is undergoing treatment.Rathna told TOI: "My husband's condition is critical. The doctors have put him on a ventilator. They are asking us to take him to some other hospital."A senior officer said an attempt to murder case has been registered against the accused. "We have collected the CCTV footage from the bar," the officer said.