'I was beaten for standing by Nirupam bhaiyya'

Congress worker Arif Abbas Sayyed who was allegedly beaten up by party leader Arif Naseem Khanrsquos guards had to spend two days in a Vile Parle hospitalThe Juhu police have booked Congress leader Arif Naseem Khan and his four bodyguards for allegedly brutally beating up a worker from his own party The victim has claimed that he was beaten up just because he stood by Mumbai Congress chief Sanjay NirupamldquoI have been in the party for over seven years working very hard during campaigns and rallies of all senior leadershellip this is what I get in return just because I interrupted a heated discussion between senior leadersrdquo Arif Abbas Sayyed the complainant told middayRoughed upNarrating the incident the 23yearold minority wing leader said ldquoI was told by party workers that senior leaders Sanjay Nirupam Narayan Rane and Arif Naseem Khan were to meet for a discussion on February 2 in a Juhu club On the day several party workers reached the spot the three leaders were having a discussion in a chamber while I along with other workers was sitting nearby Suddenly I heard the discussion become noisy and hence went in to see what had happened I saw Naseem bhai arguing with Nirupamji I interrupted and told Nirupamji lsquoBhaiyya aap mat darna hum aapke saath hainrsquo Immediately Naseem bhai asked me lsquoTu kaun hairsquo and told his bodyguards to beat merdquoldquoFive men pounced on me and started beating me up One of them caught hold of my shirt and dragged me outside They were joined by other party workers all of whom beat me till I became unconsciousrdquo he addedldquoWhen I regained consciousness I found myself in hospital with three of my friends beside me and a few policemen who recorded my statement All I want to ask the senior leaders of Congress is is this what a party worker gets in return for his hard workrdquoDiscussion derailedThe alleged incident happened outside a club in Juhu where senior leaders and party workers had gathered after the arrival of former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda who has been appointed as an observer for the upcoming elections by the AllIndia Congress Committee The clash broke out when Hooda was in a meeting with other leaders and Nirupam Rane and Khan were having a separate discussionSayyed who was admitted in a Vile Parle hospital was discharged after 48 hoursThe Juhu police have registered an FIR under sections 3 and 25 rioting of the Indian Arms Act and 323 punishment for voluntarily causing hurt 324 voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means 504 intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace and 506 2 criminal intimidation of the IPC against Khan and othersAn officer said ldquoAn FIR has been registered and investigation is going onrdquoWhen contacted Khan denied the allegation and said ldquoI am not aware about any such incident We were in a meeting with senior leaders Whatever happened it happened outside and not in my presence There are several CCTV cameras installed on the premises where the meeting was being conducted Footage from those can be checked to verify the claimrdquo