Singer Sonu Nigam was manhandled and one of his aides was thrown off the stage allegedly when fans clamoured for selfies at a music festival in Mumbai last night. The incident took place at 11 pm in Chembur when Sonu Nigam was climbing down the stage after his live performance.
His aide, who suffered minor injuries, received basic treatment at a hospital and was discharged.
"I fell on the steps after I was pushed. Rabbani (Khan) came to save me and was pushed from behind. He could have died. I filed a complaint because people must think about it when they force someone to take a selfie," Mr Nigam told reporters.
A case has been filed for wrongful restraint and voluntarily causing hurt, police said.
"The incident occurred when Sonu Nigam was leaving the stage after his live performance at the Chembur festival. He was stopped from behind by someone. When two people accompanying the singer tried to move him aside, the man pushed them down the steps. This led to one of them sustaining injuries," said Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Hemraj Singh Rajput.
The man who has been charged in the incident is Swapnil Phaterpekar, the DCP said.
When I queried about the boy, I came to know that he was the son of MLA Prakash Phaterpekar, Mr Nigam's complaint read.
Meanwhile, BJP leader Shehzad Poonawala targeted former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, saying the "attack" was carried out by the son of his faction's MLA.
But the police denied any political angle to the incident.
"According to the conversation I had with Mr Nigam, nothing seemed intentional. It was spontaneous and done by only one person. The volunteers present there handled the situation. The intention behind the act may be to take a photograph or for media footage. Police will investigate this," said the DCP.
Suprada Phaterpekar, a member of the Maharashtra State Commission for Women, identified herself as the organiser of the Chembur festival and said her team has apologised to Mr Nigam. In a tweet, she said it was her brother who was trying to take a selfie with the singer. She also appealed to people not to believe those trying to politicise the incident.
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