Dhamtari (Chhattisgarh), Aug 12 (PTI) A group of persons, including some minors, allegedly stabbed to death three men following an argument at a roadside eatery in Chhattisgarh's Dhamtari district, police said on Tuesday.
The incident occurred late Monday night at a 'dhaba' (roadside eatery) in Bhoyna under Arjuni police station limits, Dhamtari Superintendent of Police Suraj Singh Parihar told reporters.
Of the eight accused, five have been arrested and three others, who are minors, have been detained, the police said.
Preliminary investigation suggested the accused, who were reportedly inebriated, had consumed food at the dhaba and argued with its staff, the SP said.
Around the same time, the three victims -- Alok Singh, Nitin Tandi and Suresh Hiyal -- arrived there for dinner. An altercation between the two groups over a trivial issue turned violent, the official said without elaborating.
One of the accused, identified as Gopi Diwan (20), allegedly stabbed the three men with a knife and they died on the spot, he said.
After being alerted, police launched a swift operation and apprehended all suspects and seized the murder weapon, the official said.
The four other arrested persons have been identified as Kuleshwar Netam (25), Ranveer Kumar Sahu (20), Kamlesh Dhruv (19) and Gautam Diwan (22), all from different parts of Dhamtari district, a police statement said.
The three other accused, who are minors, have been detained, the police said.
A case has been registered and further investigation is underway, they said.