Youths ‘manhandle’ journalists,arrested

Four inebriated youths allegedly barged inside and “manhandled” journalists at the Times of India office in Sector 8 around 11 pm on Saturday. The accused,identified as Akshaydeep Singh,Aspan Lohiya,Savtej Singh and Devender Singh (all in their twenties),were arrested on charges of unlawful trespassing and criminal intimidation. The Ford Ikon car,in which the goons had arrived,was also impounded by the police.

On Sunday,the accused were produced before the duty magistrate Sudhir Parmar,who remanded them to judicial custody. Eminent citizens of the city have,meanwhile,condemned the incident. UT Home Secretary Ram Niwas said the accused would be dealt with strictly and security of mediapersons will be ensured.

On Saturday night,the youth allegedly misbehaved with TOI staff standing outside the office. They were checked by some colleagues,which reportedly infuriated them. When the employees left the spot,the men followed them inside. The security guard who tried to stop them was beaten up by the intruders. The youths reportedly created a ruckus inside the office,hurling abuses,beating and shoving the staff.