Real-life Dabangg: Cops beat guard to death

Two police constables have been arrested,and a magisterial inquiry has been ordered into the incident.

Bilaspur SP Jayant Thorat had gone to see the film with his family on Sunday evening. As one show ended and viewers of the next show surged to enter the theatre,the SP was caught in the crush. Cinema security guard Mahendra Yadav,who was trying to control the crowd,failed to recognise the SP and pushed him,sources said.

This is alleged to have enraged the policemen accompanying Thorat,who beat Yadav mercilessly. The guard,who belonged to Ghazipur in Uttar Pradesh,collapsed and was taken to hospital,where he was declared dead.

Afterward,local people gathered at the hospital and assaulted policemen posted there. At around midnight,they went to the police station and demanded the registration of a criminal case against the constables involved in the attack on Yadav.

Early on Monday morning,an FIR was registered against constables Afroz Khan and Anil Bhaskar,both of whom were arrested.

We have instituted a magisterial inquiry into the circumstances that led to the incident. Sub-Divisional Magistrate of Bilha,Mrs Chandan Sanjay Tripathi,has been asked to submit her report within 15 days, Bilaspur District Collector Sonmoni Borah told The Indian Express.

SP Thorat said the incident took place after he had left the theatre. Other senior police officials claimed that the constables had had an altercation with Yadav while standing in queue to buy tickets,which had led to the fight.