Three policemen, who reached a Mira Road apartment on Tuesday after receiving complaints that a loud party was being held there, were allegedly roughed up and assaulted by drunk revelers. Fourteen people have been placed under arrest in the case. Residents of Samruddhi Society at Poonam Garden, Mira Road East, had called up the control room of the Thane Rural police at 5 am on Tuesday and complained that loud music and screams could be heard from the sixth-floor apartment. Constables Harishchandra Zanje and Pradeep Gore from Mira Road police station were dispatched to the society. The society’s watchman took them to the apartment. When the constables rang the doorbell, a group of men answered and allegedly pulled them inside and asked the watchman to leave, the police said. Inspector Vasant Labde of Mira Road police station said there were 12 men and 2 women inside the apartment, all allegedly under the influence of alcohol. “The people inside the apartment accused the constables of stopping their party. The constables replied saying they were inquiring about complaints that had come to the police from the other members of the society,” he said, adding that the explanations went unheard and the constables were attacked. “The accused pulled at their uniforms, pushed them and banged their heads to the floor,” Labde said. The constables were also allegedly prevented from using their own phones. One of the constables managed to contact Labde. A police team then reached the apartment but the revelers allegedly abused and attacked the police personnel in the team, injuring constable Pramod Kendre. Labde said several bottles of liquor and a hookah pipe were found in the apartment. All fourteen were placed under arrest and booked under the Indian Penal Code for rioting, criminal intimidation, causing breach of peace, wrongful confinement and preventing public servants from carrying out their duties, the police said. Labde said the accused were taken to a hospital and a medical examination revealed that they were under the influence of alcohol. All of them are residents of Mira Road who had gathered to celebrate the birthday of 31-year-old Chirag Trivedi, who, along with his wife Shipra Singh (28), is among those arrested. Constables Zanje, Gore and Kendre were not seriously injured, Labde said, adding that Gore sustained a hairline fracture to a thumb.
