Constable among 5 held for rioting

Two other constables named in the FIR,one of whom is posted at Vinobha Bhave Nagar police station,have not yet been arrested.

The incident took place on Wednesday when a group of around 25 persons attacked Madhurkumar Singh,his brother and others around 11.30 pm. “We had performed Lakshmi puja at our shop and were going back home when this group of around 20-25 persons attacked us with swords and other sharp weapons. My brother suffered serious injuries in his right hand and was stabbed in his leg. I fractured my hand in the attack,” said complainant Madhukar Singh. “We did not even know why they were beating us. We have had trouble with these men in the past too. The police are also inclined to side with the locals whenever we approach them with complaints. One person called Gulkab Vishwakarma suffered serious injuries. He was rushed to Sion Hospital where he is recuperating in the ICU,” alleged Singh.

The group then went to lodge a complaint at the Vinobha Bhave Nagar police station,where they alleged that the policemen refused to register a complaint. “They wanted us to register a non-cognisable (NC) complaint. We have registered many such NCs against some of the accused in the past as well. That has not stopped them from threatening us. It was only on Thursday morning,when the Additional Commissioner of Police came,that the police registered an FIR,” Singh alleged.

However,the police denied the allegations. “There was a problem between two groups and that led to the fight. It was definitely not an issue of migrants versus locals and there is no question of us siding with the attackers.We registered a complaint immediately. The Additional Commissioner came to help and guide us with our investigations,” said senior police inspector Arunkumar Aaigal of Vinobha Bhave Nagar Police Station.

Additional Commissioner of Police (Central Region) Vineet Agarwal said strict action would be taken against policemen who have been named in the FIR. “The case is being investigated. The two constables who have not been arrested yet will be nabbed soon.”