Haldiram owner convicted in attempt-to-murder case

The owner of popular confectionery chain Haldiram, Prabhu Shankar Agarwal, and four others were today convicted by a city court in an attempt-to-murder case.

Agarwal, who has an outlet at Burrabazar, and four others, Gopal Tiwari, Raja Sonkar, Monoj Thakur and Arun Khandelwal were charged with attempting to murder a tea stall owner in front of the outlet.

On March 30, 2005, Gopal Tiwari entered the house of Pramod Sharma, the tea stall owner, and shot him from a close range. Luckily he was hit in the leg and managed to escape.On the basis of a complaint filed by Sharma, the police arrested Agarwal. Subsequently, it was revealed from the interrogation of Agarwal that there were four others involved.

The judge of the fourth fast track court, Tapan Sen, held the five guilty and the quantum of their punishment would be declared on Friday.

Tiwari was lodged in a correctional home while Agarwal and the four others, who had secured bail, appeared before the court. They were taken into custody today, the police said.