A wedding celebration in Karnataka’s Belagavi district turned tragic when a food fight resulted in a man’s death. This incident took place on July 2, 2025, during a dinner hosted by newlywed Abhishek Koppad at his farm near Yaragatti town. What began as a joyful event ended in tragedy over chicken pieces.

The victim, 30-year-old Vinod Malashetti, was stabbed to death by his friend Vitthal Harugopp. The argument started over the amount of chicken served during dinner. According to the police, the disagreement escalated quickly. In a fit of rage, Vitthal stabbed Vinod in the stomach. The injury was severe, and he bled to death at the scene.

Officials from the Muragoda police arrived at the farmland and took Vitthal into custody. Bhimashankar Guled, Superintendent of Police in Belagavi, confirmed the argument and the stabbing, noting it was about the chicken pieces. “Our investigation has found that the argument was over how many pieces of chicken were served. There was a lot of alcohol consumed, and everyone involved was drunk when the murder occurred. The suspect is now in custody,” Guled stated.

This is not the first incident where a minor food-related issue has turned violent. In May 2025, two men in Kerala’s Kollam attacked a hotel owner for being out of parotta, a popular flatbread, late at night at his tea stall. After the owner denied serving it since it was out of stock, the men attacked him.

Yet another such case happened a little earlier in July 2025 at one of Bengaluru’s most popular coffee shops in Seshadripuram. Four men attacked a cafe employee who refused to provide them with an extra cup free after they had bought coffees. When the staffer told them to buy another coffee, the group turned aggressive and attacked the employee.

These incidents clearly indicate the rapid escalation of minor food disputes, especially if alcohol or heightened emotions are involved. The unfortunate death of Vinod on 24 September during a wedding dinner definitely illustrates how a seemingly insignificant dispute can have fatal repercussions. We will perhaps never know what transpired prior to the stabbing since police continue their investigation into the circumstances.

Meanwhile, the community at large in Yaragatti is grappling with the tragic loss of a young man over an issue people should attempt to manage, and law enforcement is calling on the public to be reasonable and not allow small issues to reach the level of violence.

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