Sonu Nigam was pushed and two of his colleagues manhandled, allegedly by the son of an MLA, during a scuffle over taking a selfie with the singer at a musical event in Mumbai, the police said on Tuesday.
The incident took place at Chembur Gymkhana (north east Mumbai) on Monday night after the singer’s live performance, an official said.
A video of the incident later surfaced on social media platforms.
Based on a complaint filed by Nigam, the Chembur police registered an FIR against Swapnil Phaterperkar, the son of local Shiv Sena MLA Prakash Phaterpekar, under Indian Penal Code Sections 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 341 (wrongful restraint), and 337 (causing hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others), the official said.
According to Nigam’s complaint, he and his colleagues were leaving the stage after the performance when a man, later identified as Swapnil Phaterperkar, came from the back and caught hold of the singer.
He apparently wanted to take a selfie with the singer.
Sonu Nigam talks about the incident here:
As per the complaint, Nigam’s colleague Hari Prakash tried to stop the accused and took him aside. However, the accused allegedly manhandled Prakash due to which he fell down from the stage, the official said quoting the complaint.
The accused then pushed Nigam due to which he also fell on the stairs, as per the complaint.
When Nigam’s colleague Rabbani Khan came forward to help him, the accused allegedly manhandled him too. Khan fell down too, said the complaint.
The support staff present near the stage then came forward and stopped the accused, an official from the Chembur police station said.
Khan, who received injuries, was taken to a hospital in Chembur, he said.
Nigam went to the Chembur police station in the early hours of Tuesday, recorded his statement and filed a complaint against the accused, the official said, adding a probe was underway into the case.
Later, the accused’s sister in a tweet said on behalf of the organisers, they have officially apologised to Nigam and his team for the unpleasant incident.
While Nigam was being hurriedly ushered off the stage after delivering his performance, she said her brother was trying to take a selfie with the singer.
‘Due to the rush and furore, there was a commotion that ensued,’ she tweeted.
