Gangtok, April 5 -- A seemingly trivial dispute over a plate of alu-chiura snowballed into a public scuffle at Lal Bazar, before ending with a formal apology to police by four youths involved in the clash.

The incident unfolded in front of Lal Bazar Super Market near a chiura stall, one of the busiest stretches in the capital's commercial hub. According to eyewitness accounts, the argument began over a payment of around Rs 150, when a customer allegedly refused to pay, claiming the amount had already been settled. What followed was a heated exchange that quickly spiralled into a physical altercation.

As tempers flared, the situation drew a crowd, briefly disrupting normal activity in the area. Videos of the scuffle, widely circulated on...