A 42-year-old Malaysian PIO (Person of Indian Origin) lodged a complaint with police at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport following an assault on him soon after he landed here from Kuala Lumpur late on Friday night.
It was a nightmarish experience for Shankar Ram Pohumall Asnani, a barrister from the UK, who was looking forward to relaxing in a hotel.
Roughed up
Just past the toll gate on the Outer Ring Road towards Gachibowli, as the car swerved to the left to avoid an SUV, the vehicle was flagged to stop by a safari-clad man. As he stepped out, he was roughed up.
Soon another similarly-clad person joined in the attack.
The victim alleged that he was punched on the rib cage, back and kicked on his thighs by the two persons, who also used a thick leather belt, on directions from a youngster, D. Jain, who was his co-passenger from Kuala Lumpur.
After the attackers left the place, Mr. Shankar, who suffered bruises and contusions, lodged a complaint at the airport police station.
Altercation on-flight
The barrister said he had earlier asked the youngster to switch off his mobile phone when the flight was taxiing at Kuala Lumpur airport, even as the latter was arguing with a flight staffer.
The youngster looked like he was from an influential family, he added.
Case registered
The RGIA police registered a case under Sections 324 and 341 of the IPC against an ‘unknown passenger’ aged between 24 and 27 years and two bodyguards.
“We are verifying the details with the passenger manifest,” a police official said, adding that preliminary enquiry revealed that the youngster was accompanied by a woman passenger.
Counter complaint
Interestingly, Jain too lodged a counter complaint, alleging that the Malaysian misbehaved with the woman who was accompanying him and that he was in an inebriated condition.
When asked about the Malaysian’s bruises, Jain, whose identity is yet to be revealed by the police, is said to have accepted that blows were exchanged by both.
When contacted, Cyberabad Police Commissioner C. Dwaraka Tirumala Rao said he had asked the RGIA police to investigate the matter and verify both versions.
