Surat: A 35-year-old agricultural labourer was allegedly murdered by a security guard following a dispute over entry time at the Navsari Agricultural University (NAU) campus on Tuesday evening. Police said the accused, Gaurav Patel, stabbed the victim, Dipak Chaudhary, multiple times during a heated argument and fled the scene. According to preliminary investigation, Chaudhary, a native of Tapi district, worked as a labourer at the agriculture college within the NAU campus. He lived on the campus with his father Suman (62) and mother Sumitra (60). All three were employed at Farm 3 of the college.On Tuesday, after completing their work, the family went to a nearby market to purchase vegetables and daily essentials. When they returned and approached the campus gate, an argument broke out between them and the on-duty security guard, Patel.Police said the dispute escalated when Chaudhary took a few extra minutes to return to the campus. Patel allegedly objected to the delay, denied him entry, and began quarrelling with him. During the altercation, Patel reportedly pulled out a sharp-edged weapon and stabbed Chaudhary eight times, targeting his chest, head, hands, back and other parts of the body.Chaudhary died on the spot before 108 emergency medical services could reach the location.Following the incident, Patel fled the campus. He is a resident of Aat village in Jalalpore and had been posted at the Farm 3 gate for the past month. Initial investigation revealed that Patel allegedly harassed labourers over entry timings after joining duty, frequently threatening to lock the gate and deny entry if they returned late.An investigation has been initiated by Jalalpore police inspector D D Ladumor based on a complaint filed by the victim’s brother, Pankaj.
