A row over parking in the busy market in Phase XI turned ugly on Wednesday morning when a man was stabbed by two identified men, who also snatched Rs 24,000 from him.

The victim, Surjit Dass, who hails from Assam and has been staying with his employer for more than a decade, is struggling for his life at a private hospital in Phase VIII, the police said. Dass, who is in his mid-20s, sustained two deep stab wounds on his left thigh and left shoulder in the melee.

Dass’s employer Gopal Krishan told Newsline that around 10 am his sister-in-law Tanya Nagpal came in the market in her Hyundai Ascent car to collect cash from Surjit, who works as a salesman in their furniture store. Nagpal was with her one-year-old son.

As Tanya parked the car in front of the shop, a Tata Indica car with a Delhi registration number hit her car from behind, Krishan said. Nagpal stepped out and chastised the occupants of the Indica car — two Sikh men in their mid-30s. But they started abusing her, he added.

Seeing the ruckus outside, Dass came out of the shop and asked the men to mind their language. This provoked them and they assaulted Dass, Krishan said.

One of them held Dass and another allegedly stabbed him with a dagger, Krishan said. Then they snatched Rs 24,000, which Surjit had brought to hand over to Nagpal, and fled.

Investigation Officer Harpreet Singh said a case of voluntarily causing hurt and criminal intimidation with common intention under Sections 324, 506 and 34 of the IPC has been registered against the duo. He, however, denied robbery as the motive.