Shiv Sena MLA’s son booked for manhandling Sonu Nigam’s friend: Police

Phatarpekar allegedly pushed two of singer Sonu Nigam’s friends from the staircase of a stage where the singer was performing during a small festival in Mumbai’s Chembur area

Chembur police on Tuesday booked Swapnil Phatarpekar, son of Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray faction) MLA Prakash Phatarpekar, for wrongful restraint and voluntarily causing hurt following a complaint from singer Sonu Nigam after Phatarpekar allegedly pushed Nigam’s teammates from the staircase of the stage during an event.

The alleged incident took place at Chembur Gymkhana on Monday night (Twitter/screengrab)

The alleged incident took place at Chembur Gymkhana on Monday night.

Phatarpekar allegedly pushed two of singer Sonu Nigam’s friends from the staircase of a stage where the singer was performing during a music festival at Mumbai’s Chembur area.

Deputy commissioner of the police (DCP) Hemraj Rajput said the incident took place after the performance. He said Phatarpekar walked close to Nigam after the singer and his team were getting off the stage and when Nigam’s team tried to stop Phatarpekar, he allegedly pushed two persons identified as Rabbani Khan and Hari Prasad, both friends of Nigam’s.

A video of the incident also went viral on social media which shows Nigam and others coming down on stage when few men abruptly pushed them, one of whom fell down from the stage on the side.

Police said Khan sustained an injury on his shoulder and was taken to a local hospital.

Following the incident, Nigam, along with a few of his friends visited the police station around 1:30am on Tuesday and registered a complaint in this regard.

“We have registered a case under sections 341 (wrongful restraint), 337 (causing hurt to any person by doing any act so rashly or negligently as to endanger human life or the personal safety of others), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) of the Indian Penal Code against Swapnil,” DCP Rajput said.

Phatarpekar will be called to the police station and action will be taken against him, said Rajput.

“Khan’s X-ray report showed nothing, but he might have sustained internal injury. Soon after the incident, both parties resolved the issue and left for their homes,” said a police officer at Chembur police station.

Meanwhile, speaking to the media, Nigam claimed that the person came close to him and grabbed him apparently for a selfie. “When Hari Prasad rushed to help me, he (Phatarpekar) pushed him and even I fell on the staircase,” Nigam said. He added, later when Rabbani came for help, he pushed off Rabbani too and he fell to the ground very hard. “Luckily, he survived,” said Nigam.