Punjabi comedian injured in clash over petty toll ticket

Well-known Punjabi comedian Bhagwant Mann, famous for his hilarious jokes and anecdotes, had a bitter experience while crossing a toll barrier, officials said on Wednesday.

Well-known Punjabi comedian Bhagwant Mann, famous for his hilarious jokes and anecdotes, had a bitter experience while crossing a toll barrier, officials said on Wednesday. Mann sustained injuries after a scuffle with employees of the Chandigarh-Ambala toll plaza over a Rs.25 ticket.

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The incident took place in Derabassi, 20 km from here, late Tuesday.

Mann was returning from New Delhi along with his friend. Trouble started when Mann was asked to show the two-way toll receipt which he had lost.

"We had paid for a two-way journey on Tuesday morning. I told the man deployed at the toll barrier to check the entry record in his computer, as we had lost the ticket. But he started abusing and misbehaving with us over a Rs.25 slip," said Mann.

One of the eye-witnesses and a senior employee of the toll plaza, told IANS: "It all started with a verbal spat but soon transformed into an exchange of blows and kicks. Mann was in an inebriated condition and called his friends from Mohali and Chandigarh."

Police have registered a case against the toll barrier employees.

"Police immediately reached the spot and controlled the situation. Bhagwant Mann got a deep wound near his left eye during the scuffle. His medical examination was done in the local hospital," J.S. Khaira, deputy superintendent of police, Derabassi, told IANS.

"We have registered a case against the toll plaza supervisor and others who assaulted Mann. We will soon arrest all the accused," Khaira said.