Three police constables were today booked and suspended for allegedly manhandling workers of a sweet shop in suburban Mahim here.
The incident took place last night when one of the constables was having ice-cream in front of the sweet shop while returning home from duty. There he saw the shop workers drinking alcohol and making noise, a senior police official said.
The constable asked them not to create nuisance. Following this, a scuffle broke out between him and the workers, he said.
The constable claimed that he was beaten up by the workers who later fled into the shop, the police official said, adding he then called two of his colleagues and the trio allegedly went inside the shop and assaulted the workers.
On the other hand, the shop owner claimed that a constable, in inebriated condition, entered into an argument with his staff, who were sitting near the shop at around 10.30 PM.
He then left the spot and returned with two others, who were in civil dress. The trio, armed with iron rods, entered the shop after breaking the lock of its rear door. They ransacked the shop and manhandled the workers, the owner claimed.
He further alleged that police initially did not register their complaint and after they sat at the police station for the entire night, a case was lodged this afternoon.
The accused, identified as Rajdeep More (33), Vishal Bhagat (27) and Mahadeb Kambe (27), attached to Sahunagar Police Station were booked under sections 352 (assault or criminal force), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) and other relevant sections of the IPC.
They have been suspended and a probe has been initiated in this regard, the police official said, adding three workers who sustained injuries were admitted to a hospital.
