Ramanagar: A fight over toll between the staff of a Toll Plaza and a group of youths ended in the murder of the toll plaza staff near Sheshagirihalli Toll Plaza in Ramanagar taluk on Sunday midnight.

The deceased has been identified as Pavan Kumar (26), a resident of Karikal Tandya in Bengaluru South taluk.

At about 9.30 pm, a luggage auto-rickshaw took longer to pay the toll at the NHAI’s Sheshagirihalli toll plaza, about 30 km west of Bengaluru. As the goods auto did not have a FASTag, the driver was asked to pay double the toll in cash, as per the rules.

Meanwhile, a car with a FASTag and four passengers pulled up behind the auto. The car driver got impatient and sounded the horn, asking the staff to remove the barrier so he could pass. But the staff didn’t pay heed.

One of the passengers got out of the car and picked an argument with the toll plaza employees Pavan Kumar and Manjunath. But things didn’t escalate immediately there. The car moved on and stopped some distance away and the passengers got off the car and fought with the staff, the video of which is doing rounds on social media.

Local residents intervened and put an end to the fight but the gang lay in wait for Pavan.

Pavan and Manjunath finished their shift around 12 midnight and walked to a nearby lake for drinks. According to Police, the car passengers reportedly attacked Pavan and Manjunath with hockey sticks during which Pavan suffered a grievous head injury and was rushed to a private hospital where he succumbed to injuries early Monday morning. Manjunath also suffered injuries but is out of danger. Bidadi Police, who have registered a murder case, have launched a hunt to nab the accused.