An Indian eatery owner in New Zealand was repeatedly punched in the face after he tried to stop a customer who was leaving with a pack of bread without paying.
Paramjit Singh, owner of Duke Street Food Mart in Hastings, said the man repeatedly punched him in the face and later the attacker's wife threatened him with an axe on Wednesday.
Mr Singh has been left with a bruised eye after the attack.
The incident occurred in full view of other customers and Paramjit’s young family. As the accused rained punches on him, Paramjit’s wife grabbed a stick and quickly came to his rescue.
One of the customers in Mr Singh's store called the police.
While the accused is still on the run and police is looking for him, his 27-year-old wife was arrested for making threats using an axe. She will be brought before Hastings court.
Paramjit Singh, who is originally from Jalandhar in India, bought this food business around six months ago.
He said the accused would often busy items from him on credit, promising to pay at a later time. However, a few days ago, Paramjit said the man refused to clear his account, forcing him to stop selling to the man and his family.
For more news and updates, follow SBS Punjabi on Facebook.
