Sources said the Mumbai DCP Zone 3 objected when one of the pandal's 'volunteers' broke the queue and allowed a devotee in from the wrong end
The moment the tiff began between DCP Abhinash Kumar and the volunteer. Videos show him climbing over the barricades to challenge the volunteer
Nowhere is it more important to mind your Ps and queues than at Lalbaugcha Raja, where even one person cutting the line can unleash a whole lot of aggression among the thousands of other devotees waiting patiently. Yesterday, one such incident caused DCP (Zone 3) Abhinash Kumar to lose his cool and launch into a scuffle with a volunteer at the city's most famous Ganesh pandal.
Every day, an increasing number of devotees throng Lalbaug for the blessings of Lalbaugcha Raja. Mumbai police have deployed 1,000 cops on bandobast duty at this pandal alone after a stampede-like situation was witnessed on Sunday. As many as 11 DCP-level officers have also been deployed to monitor the situation. However, there have been reports of arguments and altercations between cops and volunteers. On Tuesday afternoon, one such row took an ugly turn.
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"DCP Abhinash Kumar objected when one of the volunteers allowed devotees in through the wrong end. The volunteer started arguing with DCP Kumar, which resulted in a scuffle between the two," said sources. "Dinesh Kadam, senior inspector of Byculla police station, also jumped in and tried to nab the volunteer who was allegedly abusing the DCP," added the source.
Matters got worse when the DCP was seen climbing up on the barricades, challenging the volunteer to come forward. Sr PI Kadam crossed over the other side of the fence in pursuit of the volunteer. Other police officers and volunteers tried to restore order, but it took seven long minutes to resolve the matter. Such tussles have also been reported in the past at Lalbaugcha Raja. Senior police officers remained tight-lipped about the incident. DCP Kumar, too, was unavailable for comment.
'He's not one of us'
Balasaheb Kamble, president of Lalbaugcha Raja Mandal, said, "The persons involved in the argument with cops are not our volunteers. We’re on good terms with the police and have been co-operating with them since day one."
Also Read: Ganesh Chaturthi 2018: 10 popular pandals in Mumbai that you should definitely visit!
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