A dispute over tourist vehicles near Jaipur’s Amer Fort turned deadly after a 40-year-old tourist guide was allegedly stabbed during an argument, triggering protests and a shutdown of shops in the historic area.
The guide, Manish Soni, a resident of Amer, died while undergoing treatment at Sawai Man Singh Hospital on Tuesday, a day after he was allegedly attacked.
According to police, Soni was attacked around 9.30am on Monday following an argument with a tourist vehicle driver identified as Azam. Police said Soni had stopped vehicles from proceeding towards Amer Fort, leading to a heated altercation with the driver.
The argument allegedly escalated, with Soni being attacked with a knife and suffering serious injuries to his abdomen. Police said an associate of Azam, identified as Nazish, was also allegedly involved in the assault.
Soni was rushed to SMS Hospital and admitted to the ICU, but succumbed to his injuries on Tuesday morning. Police said he suffered severe wounds and lost a substantial amount of blood.
Azam has been arrested and is being questioned, while police are continuing their investigation. DCP (North) Karan Sharma said Soni and Azam had also been involved in a scuffle several days before the stabbing, although Soni had not filed a formal complaint at the time.
News of Soni’s death sparked anger among local residents and tourist guides. Hundreds of people gathered in Amer to protest, while shops in the main market remained closed.
The protesters demanded ₹1 crore in compensation for Soni’s family, a government job for one of his family members and strict action against those responsible. BJP MLA Balmukund Acharya visited the area and held talks with the protesters.
Additional police personnel were deployed to prevent any escalation and maintain law and order. After several rounds of discussions, the protesters dispersed after authorities assured the family of all possible financial assistance and a contractual job.
The incident had also triggered a road blockade on Monday shortly after news of the stabbing spread.
