06 November,2012 06:56 AM IST | | Saurabh Vaktania
Normalcy returned yesterday only after DCP (Zone VI) Lakhmi Gautam, who was at the hospital for routine inspection, was held hostage until he promised action against the two beat marshals.
While the reason for the alleged assault is unknown, a crowd consisting of local politicians, the victim's family and locals gathered at Rajawadi Hospital and did not allow the body to be taken to JJ Hospital for post-mortem, after the Tilak Nagar police refused to register a complaint against the two cops who launched the attack.
Kalyan Salve (17), his cousin Krishna Salve (16) and their friend Shyam Yadav (24) were standing at Ambedkar Nagar in Ghatkopar (East) at around 10.30 pm when two beat marshals of the Tilak Nagar police station allegedly stepped out of Natraj Bar and attacked them.
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Krishna said, "They rushed toward us and without asking us anything they started hitting us with their sticks. Shyam and I managed to get out of their reach, but they targeted Kalyan. They hit him viciously."
According to Krishna, after Kalyan collapsed on the spot, the constables fled the scene. The victim was finally taken to Rajawadi Hospital, where he was declared dead on arrival.
When his family went to the police station, the police officers allegedly refused to accept their complaint. As the news spread, shopkeepers in Ambedkar Nagar downed their shutters and a curfew-like atmosphere prevailed.
Local politicians entered the fray, and they along with the victim's parents and locals refused to take the body out of the hospital, while demanding that the two constables be arrested immediately.
Ten hours into the standoff, police finally registered a case of murder against the two constables.
DCP Gautam, who had arrived at the hospital for routine inspection yesterday afternoon, was not allowed to leave. At around 6 pm Gautam finally assured the crowd that a case would be registered against the constables, after which he was allowed to leave.
Joint Commissioner of Police Sadanand Date (Law and Order) said, "A case has been registered under Section 302 (murder) against both the constables." u00a0u00a0