Date:03/05/2005 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2005/05/03/stories/2005050314880400.htm

Andhra Pradesh

IPS trainees clash with pan shop owner

Staff Reporter

Scuffle over pack of cigarettes; four injured

HYDERABAD: A scuffle over a pack of cigarettes between four IPS probationers and a pan shop owner near the National Police Academy escalated to a major clash in which four persons, including two trainee officers, were injured on Sunday night.

The police version was that around 9.20 p.m. four probationers had gone to Aramgadh crossroads for dinner. "While one went to fetch food from a hotel, the other three went to purchase cigarettes," the Cyberabad DCP, M.K. Singh, said.

He said that there was a scuffle between the probationers and the pan shop owner, Venkatesh, when the latter charged them extra money though the MRP was Rs.59.

"Even as the scuffle was on, the local public thrashed the trainee officers due to which two of them-- Keval Khurana and Anand Prakash Tiwari-- suffered serious injuries," Mr. Singh said. They were immediately admitted to a local hospital.

Meanwhile, one of the trainees, Irshaad, who was present with Khurana and Tiwari, rushed to the Academy and informed his colleagues about the incident. It was around 11.20 p.m, when at least 20 angry trainee officers came out and allegedly started throwing stones on whomever they spotted on the road. By then, the persons who had thrashed the officers had left the scene. Those who were not at all concerned with the incident became targets of the trainees.

Cases booked

However, another version doing the rounds was that the pan shop owner demanded extra money as it was late in the night. Furious over this, the trainee officers were believed to have abused Venkatesh and then thrashed him. Soon, friends and relatives of Venkatesh gathered and attacked them with sticks.

The Rajendranagar police booked cases against Venkatesh and others under sections 147, 148 and section 307 of IPC. However, no case was booked on the probationers. "They (Venkatesh and others) do not have any injuries while the trainee officers have serious injuries," reasoned the Rajendranagar Inspector, K. Srikanth.

Khurana and Tiwari are undergoing treatment at Apollo Hospital, Jubilee Hills. It is learnt that Venkatesh's father, Siddappa, also suffered injuries and is undergoing treatment at a private hospital. Officials of the NPA were not available for comment.