Dehradun, Nov. 3 -- The Tehri Garhwal police on Sunday dismissed the claims that the 28-year-old man murdered near a liquor shop in Muni-Ki-Reti area of Rishikesh on October 25, was stabbed 32 to 38 times with a knife. However, they said he died due to a stab injury in the heart. The police statement came amid a protest to shut the liquor shop, citing increased criminal incidents due to sale of liquor in the area. Senior superintendent of police (SSP) Tehri Garhwal Ayush Agarwal on Sunday said, "With regard to murder of Ajendra Kandari near the Kharasrot liquor shop under Muni-Ki-Reti police station limits, certain individuals and media outlets have circulated false and misleading information on social media that the deceased was stabbed 32 to 38 times with a knife. These claims are incorrect...we received the post-mortem report, which was conducted by a panel of two doctors at AIIMS Rishikesh. As per report, the primary cause of death is a stab injury to the heart. The report also mentions one superficial mark near the neck." "We are conducting a thorough investigation, based on available facts and scientific evidence. All citizens are requested not to spread baseless, misleading, or false information that may create unrest or animosity in society," he said. "Following the incident, some individuals forcibly closed the Kharasrot liquor shop. The shop has been reopened by the excise department. As per the orders and guidelines of the Uttarakhand high court, adequate police force has been deployed at the location to maintain law and order in the area," he said. Local residents have alleged that the liquor outlet has led to rising incidents of crime and nuisance in the locality. Protestors have vowed to continue their agitation until the shop is permanently shut. A 28-year-old man was allegedly stabbed to death by his friend following an argument near a liquor store in the Muni-Ki-Reti area of Rishikesh in Tehri Garhwal district late on October 25. After the protest started on October 27, officials from the excise department, accompanied by police personnel, reached the site and persuaded agitators to disperse, clearing the sit-in protest in front of the shop not allowing it to open. The protestors regrouped about 50 metres away and resumed their protest. Mohit Dimri, convener of the "Mool Niwas, Bhoo Kanoon Samanvay Sangharsh Samiti", said on Friday, "It is a holy town (Rishikesh). The liquor vendor shouldn't be there. It allows criminal elements to thrive and eventually commit crimes. The murder of the 28-year-old man is a recent example." "Also, there are claims that the land on which the wine shop is located is a forest reserved area. It should also be looked into," Dimri said. Excise commissioner Anuradha Pal said, "The liquor shop (in Rishikesh) has nothing to do with the murder that took place on October 25. Some people with vested interests are staging protests against it. It is causing a loss of Rs.16 lakh each day to the excise department. The licensee of the shop even approached the high court against the protest. We, along with the police department, ensured the opening of the shop on Thursday. It is being operated under tight security, even though agitators continue to protest at a nearby spot." She dismissed the allegations that the liquor shop is located on land under the reserved forest area and notified as "no liquor zone"....