BENGALURU: While Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) lit up Chinnaswamy Stadium with high-octane cricket action Saturday, drama of a different kind unfolded off the pitch - right inside the elite Diamond Box. The families of two high-ranking govt officials, one a senior IPS officer and the other an income tax commissioner, clashed over who was entitled to which seat!
The clash of egos quickly spiralled into a full-blown showdown, turning the VIP box into a war zone of words and tempers. The duel escalated so dramatically that it spilled beyond the stadium and landed both parties at Cubbon Park police station, turning the cricket fever into a criminal case. The IPS officer's family charged the income tax commissioner's family with intimidation, sexual harassment and outraging modesty, which the latter has denied.
"But what's more shocking is it all took place in the complimentary hospitality box even as several senior govt officials watched without intervening," a senior cop said. The incident happened when the IPS officer's daughter and son were at the seating area enjoying the game. "The daughter stepped away to use the washroom, leaving her purse on the seat to indicate it was occupied. That is when a man came and occupied her seat. When the brother told him to vacate as his sister was all set to return, the man did not budge and an argument broke out between the two. Soon, the sister joined her brother while the man was joined by his wife, the income tax official, and their son. The argument intensified with each hurling abuse at the other. At one point, the confrontation between the IPS officer's daughter and the man almost went out of control as the man was arguing in her face," the cop elaborated.
'No cops on duty in box'
The brother-sister duo called their parents, who were watching the match at home on television. The IPS officer and his wife rushed towards the stadium, and worried about their children, called senior police officers in the city to intervene. With no help coming, the IPS officer's wife told her kids to move out of the stadium as she rushed to Cubbon Park police station and lodged a complaint. She accused the man "of making unwelcome physical contact and intruding on her (daughter's) privacy with an intention to offend her". She stated that visuals of the rowdy behaviour of the man was captured by her son on his mobile phone. She also pointed out that there were no cops on duty in the Diamond Box when the incident took place, between 9.40pm and 10.20pm.
Based on her complaint, police registered a case against two unknown persons under BNS Sections 351 (criminal intimidation), 352 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace), 75 (sexual harassment which includes physical contact involving unwelcome overtures), and 79 (insulting a woman's modesty).
After two hours, the man in question and his wife were summoned to the police station, and they were later allowed to leave. When contacted, the police brass chose not to comment and claimed necessary action would be taken after investigation. A police officer claimed helplessness, stating: "One is a senior IPS officer and another is a senior income tax officer, we are in a spot."
The clash of egos quickly spiralled into a full-blown showdown, turning the VIP box into a war zone of words and tempers. The duel escalated so dramatically that it spilled beyond the stadium and landed both parties at Cubbon Park police station, turning the cricket fever into a criminal case. The IPS officer's family charged the income tax commissioner's family with intimidation, sexual harassment and outraging modesty, which the latter has denied.
"But what's more shocking is it all took place in the complimentary hospitality box even as several senior govt officials watched without intervening," a senior cop said. The incident happened when the IPS officer's daughter and son were at the seating area enjoying the game. "The daughter stepped away to use the washroom, leaving her purse on the seat to indicate it was occupied. That is when a man came and occupied her seat. When the brother told him to vacate as his sister was all set to return, the man did not budge and an argument broke out between the two. Soon, the sister joined her brother while the man was joined by his wife, the income tax official, and their son. The argument intensified with each hurling abuse at the other. At one point, the confrontation between the IPS officer's daughter and the man almost went out of control as the man was arguing in her face," the cop elaborated.
'No cops on duty in box'
The brother-sister duo called their parents, who were watching the match at home on television. The IPS officer and his wife rushed towards the stadium, and worried about their children, called senior police officers in the city to intervene. With no help coming, the IPS officer's wife told her kids to move out of the stadium as she rushed to Cubbon Park police station and lodged a complaint. She accused the man "of making unwelcome physical contact and intruding on her (daughter's) privacy with an intention to offend her". She stated that visuals of the rowdy behaviour of the man was captured by her son on his mobile phone. She also pointed out that there were no cops on duty in the Diamond Box when the incident took place, between 9.40pm and 10.20pm.
Based on her complaint, police registered a case against two unknown persons under BNS Sections 351 (criminal intimidation), 352 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace), 75 (sexual harassment which includes physical contact involving unwelcome overtures), and 79 (insulting a woman's modesty).
After two hours, the man in question and his wife were summoned to the police station, and they were later allowed to leave. When contacted, the police brass chose not to comment and claimed necessary action would be taken after investigation. A police officer claimed helplessness, stating: "One is a senior IPS officer and another is a senior income tax officer, we are in a spot."
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