Raipur/Dhamtari — In a swift overnight operation, Dhamtari Police have arrested eight people, including three minors, for the brutal murder of three youths at a roadside dhaba in the Arjuni police station area. The arrests came just hours after the incident, which police say was triggered by a minor argument.
According to officials, the main accused, Gopi Diwan (20), along with four other adults — Kuleshwar Netam (25), Ranveer Kumar Sahu (20), Kamlesh Dhruv (19), and Gautam Diwan (22) — and three minors have been booked under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The adults have been sent to judicial custody, while a social background report for the minors has been submitted to the Juvenile Justice Board.
The incident occurred around 11:20 pm on Monday near Annapurna Dhaba in Bhoyna village. Police received a report of three men being attacked with a sharp weapon and immediately dispatched a team along with senior officers.
The FIR, lodged by complainant Rahul Kumar Sahu (34) of Soram village, states that the victims — Alok Singh Thakur, Nitin Tandi, and Suresh Hiyal — had gone to the dhaba with friends. The accused, already present there, got into an argument with them. The confrontation escalated, and Gopi Diwan allegedly stabbed the three victims, who died on the spot.
Acting on the SP’s instructions, multiple police teams launched a coordinated search and apprehended all eight accused within hours. The murder weapon — a sharp knife — has also been recovered.
Police say the case highlights how petty disputes can escalate into deadly violence, and further investigation is underway.
