Mumbai:
Singer Abhijeet Sawant has denied that he and his colleagues were under the influence of alcohol when one of them rammed a scooter on Tuesday night, injuring two teenage riders.
"Reports being flashed on news channels that we were drunk and were racing our cars for fun are untrue. We are shocked at this kind of irresponsible reporting," said Sawant, who was assaulted by an irate crowd when he tried to intervene after singer Prajakta Shukre's car collided with the other vehicle. He added that there was no mention in media reports that the rider was underage or that he was not wearing a helmet.
Sawant told mediapersons on Wednesday evening that he and his colleagues, Shukre, Minal Jain, Antara Mitra and Amit Sawant, were returning home after attending a meeting of the All India Singers Association which was held at playback singer Suresh Wadekar's studio, Ajivasan, in Santa Cruz.
(Read: Reality show star arrested, another beaten up)"The lane at Daulat Nagar where the incident took place is very narrow. There was no question of racing. I just lost control of the car and rammed into the scooter. It was an unfortunate accident and I am sorry for the trouble caused," Shukre said.
Locals who witnessed the accident roughed up Sawant and tore his shirt when he tried to appease them, the singer added. "Luckily for us, a police patrol vehicle spotted the commotion and came to our rescue," Shukre added.
Playback singers Sonu Nigam, Shaan and Mika Singh, who rushed to the Santa Cruz police station where Sawant and Shukre were detained, were also at the receiving end of the mob's anger. "Sonuji too was roughed up by the crowd," said Sawant. He added that it was because of incidents like this that people in Mumbai hesitate to intervene in someone else's dispute or disagreement.
An officer at the Santa Cruz station confirmed the event and revealed that Shukre was booked for rash and negligent driving and later released on bail. "Shukre's medical reports indicate that she was not under the influence of alcohol or drugs," the officer added.
The riders, Taufiq Khan, 19, and Tauhid Khan, 13, who suffered injuries on the hands, legs and head, are recuperating at Nanavati Hospital in Juhu.
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