Gundon ki sena, snipes BJP as Uddhav Sena MLA’s son booked for manhandling Sonu Nigam, aides

Singer Sonu Nigam and his team were allegedly manhandled by an MLA’s son at a music event in Mumbai’s Chembur on Monday night.

The police on Tuesday lodged an FIR and booked Swapnil Prakash Phaterpekar based on Nigam’s complaint. Swapnil is the son of Chembur MLA Prakash Phaterpekar, a leader of Uddhav Thackeray’s party. He has been charged under sections 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 341 (wrongful restraint), and 337 (causing hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others) of the Indian Penal Code, police said.

The BJP lost no time in firing a salvo at former Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, referring to the handful of lawmakers still loyal to him as “gundon ki sena (army of goons)”.

As the matter blew up, BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawala dared a beleaguered Uddhav Thackeray to come out and condemn the incident.

“Famous singer Sonu Nigam reportedly attacked by Uddhav Thackeray‘s MLA Prakash Phaterpekar’s son and his men! This has become a gundon ki sena. Not the first time such an incident has come to the fore! Earlier a veteran was beaten up! Shameful! Will UT faction condemn it?” tweeted Poonawala.

According to the complaint lodged by Sonu Nigam at Chembur police station, he and his colleagues were leaving the stage after the performance when a man, later identified as Swapnil Phaterpekar, came from the back and caught hold of the singer. The accused apparently wanted to take a selfie with the singer.

Nigam’s colleague Hari Prakash tried to stop the accused and took him aside. However, the accused allegedly shoved Prakash due to which he fell from the stage, a police official said, quoting the complaint.

The accused then pushed Nigam because of which he also fell on the stairs, as per the complaint. When Nigam’s another colleague Rabbani Khan came forward to help him, there was a scuffle and Khan, too, fell off stage, sustaining injuries.

However, MLA Prakash Phaterpekar downplayed the incident, insisting that Nigam’s colleague was pushed off the stage “by mistake”. He also claimed that “nothing has happened” to Sonu Nigam.

Later, the accused’s sister said in a tweet that on behalf of the event’s organisers, they have officially apologised to Nigam and his team for the unpleasant incident.