New Delhi: A quarrel broke out between restaurant staff and customers in Delhi which soon snowballed into a physical altercation, leading to the death of a 23-year-old man who had visited there to celebrate his birthday with his friends, said police. 

The restaurant is located in a mall in outer Delhi's Pitampura area. Six people, including the restaurant owner, were detained after police scanned the CCTV footage. The deceased has been identified as Jatin, a resident of Budh Vihar area in Delhi, police said. They said that his friends also suffered injuries while trying to save Jatin.

News agency PTI quoted a senior police officer as saying, “It all started due to some misunderstanding with the restaurant workers. A quarrel broke out between the workers and Jatin, who was later stabbed in the chest, and two of his friends, identified as Varad and Prashan, also suffered injuries when they intervened.”

According to the police, they got a PCR call on Wednesday at 6.30 am from B M Hospital about a man who was admitted there with serious injuries. "Soon after getting the call, a police team including ACP Mangolpuri and SHO of Mangolpuri rushed to the spot. Initial investigation suggested an accident. However, further inquiry revealed that it was an incident of quarrel at a hotel," the officer said.

Police said local inquiry revealed that the incident took place when Jatin, a private bank employee, was celebrating his birthday along with his friends at a restaurant located in Vardmaan Mall in Pitampura. "After he was stabbed, Jatin was rushed to the hospital where he was declared dead. A PCR call regarding a quarrel was also received at 3.27 am. An FIR under sections of the Indian Penal Code including that dealing with murder was registered and the task was assigned to Special Staff of the Outer district," said the officer. 

Police said that looking into seriousness of the matter, a team was formed immediately. The team procured CCTV camera footage, collected local information and conducted proper examination of the witnesses, they said. "Six people have been detained so far. We are investigating the matter further," the officer said. 

(With PTI inputs)