Bouncers assault cousins at elite nightclub in Delhi’s Connaught Place

Representative photo

A late-night visit to a popular nightclub in central Delhi turned violent for a 23-year-old man and his cousin after they were allegedly assaulted and thrown out by bouncers over a dispute concerning a faulty toilet flush.

The incident took place in the early hours of July 2 at Privee, a club located within the Shangri-La’s Eros Hotel complex in Connaught Place. The victims - the man, a resident of Tilak Nagar, and his 32-year-old cousin sister - had arrived at the venue around 12.30 am and stayed on until approximately 4 am, as per ABP Live.

According to the first information report (FIR), the altercation began in the club’s restroom where the man noticed water overflowing from a broken flush. He claimed that as he tried to turn it off, a cleaner accused him of damaging the fixture. “I told him it wasn’t working when I got there. I even turned it off myself,” the man said in his police statement, as cited by ABP Live.

The situation escalated quickly. The FIR states that two bouncers intervened, allegedly grabbed the man, pushed him out of the club and began assaulting him. When he protested, he was allegedly punched and kicked. His cousin, who tried to step in, was also reportedly attacked. “They threatened to kill me. Both of us were thrown out of the club’s gate,” the man said in his statement.

The duo called the police helpline 112 and a PCR van reached the location shortly after. By then, however, the club had shut for the night and the accused individuals had left the premises, the FIR stated, as per The Indian Express. The two victims were taken to LHMC Hospital, where doctors confirmed injuries “allegedly due to physical assault by unknown bouncers”.

The Connaught Place Police have registered a case under sections 115 (voluntarily causing hurt), 126 (wrongful restraint) and 351 (criminal intimidation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). CCTV footage is being reviewed to verify the sequence of events. Police confirmed that an investigation is ongoing.

The hotel in which the club is located issued a statement distancing itself from the incident, clarifying that Privee operates independently under a lease agreement. “Our concern is with the safety of guests and we are cooperating fully with the police,” the hotel said, according to ABP Live.