Modi's guards booked for abusing lensmen

The Sahar police have booked IPL Commissioner, Lalit Modi's bodyguards for allegedly insulting and intimidating camerapersons and photographers at the international airport on Tuesday.

The Sahar police have booked IPL Commissioner, Lalit Modi's bodyguards for allegedly insulting and intimidating camerapersons and photographers at the international airport on Tuesday.

HT Image

Tushar Shinde and his three accomplices abused photojournalists when they were trying to shoot visuals of Modi after he arrived from Dubai.

The complainant, Santosh Nandi, a cameraman with a television channel claimed when Modi appeared from airports exit gate, more than 15 photojournalists gathered.

"After Modi gave bytes to television channels, we followed him to his car to shoot some visuals. When I approached the car, Shinde started abusing us and refrained us. Suddenly he hit me in my stomach and back," Nandi said.

Many photographers were pushed and manhandled. They went to the police on Tuesday night and registered a complaint against Shinde and three other bodyguards.

"We have registered a case of criminal intimidation but have not arrested the bodyguards because Shinde is in hospital being treated for minor injuries he sustained during the scuffle," said Senior Police Inspector, Dilip Patil, of Sahar police station.

Chief Minister, Ashok Chavan, had said in the Assembly earlier in the day that criminal cases would be filed against the guards.

Chavan said he had spoken to Home Minister, R.R. Patil about the issue and was told that the guards were Modi's private security men.

"Patil told me that cases will be filed against the guards, who attacked journalists,'' Chavan had said.