Muzaffarnagar: Police have booked three brothers for allegedly killing a shopkeeper here who refused to sell them a tobacco packet, police said on Sunday.
The police identified the accused as Deepak, Tillu, and Mangu.
The incident occurred late Saturday night in Kurthal village. The brothers attacked shopkeeper Rajveer Kashyap (50) with a spear, killing him on the spot, police said.
The victim's family filed a complaint and alleged that the accused arrived at Kashyap's shop intoxicated and demanded a tobacco packet. However, when Kashyap refused, they attacked him with a spear and killed him.
The body has been sent for post-mortem, police said.
The incident triggered protests from the Kashyap community. Members of the community staged a sit-in protest demanding strict action against the accused.
Circle Officer (CO) Gajendrapal Singh said three police teams are searching for the accused brothers, who are currently absconding. Security has been tightened in the village as a precautionary measure.