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The aroma of spices and the cheerful clatter of plates, once the hallmark of the Baba Balak Nath Dhaba, have been replaced by the quiet despair of its owners, Sadhna and Dhiraj Panwar.
Their small roadside eatery, popular among travellers near the Phaloda bypass under the Purkazi Police Station area in Muzaffarnagar, now stands as a stark reminder of a brutal act of vandalism by a group of kanwariyas, all over a few slices of onion in their food.
On July 8, a group of kanwariyas, pilgrims on their way to collect holy water, entered their dhaba.
After consuming 10 plates of food at Rs 150 each, the group allegedly found some onion slices in their meal, and unleashed a destructive rampage.
Sadhna recounted the terrifying incident to PTI on Friday.
“They didn’t pay a single paisa. Instead, they vandalised our dhaba, causing damage of thousands of rupees .”
The enraged kanwariyas damaged furniture, destroyed the kitchen and even mangled the ceiling fans. Sadhna alleged that they even looted cash and stole beverages from the refrigerator.
The financial blow has been immense for the couple, who were already grappling with financial difficulties before the incident.
