Swapnil P. Phaterpekar, the son of Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Prakash Phaterpekar, was arrested early on Tuesday morning for assaulting playback artist Sonu Nigam, according to a senior police officer. This is the second’selfie’-related incident in a week.
Hemrajsingh Rajput, Deputy Commissioner of Police for Zone VI, stated that the incident occurred late Monday night when Nigam was leaving a concert in Chembur.
“After the concert, while Nigam was leaving the stage, a man named Swapnil P. Phaterpekar asked him for a selfie. When Nigam declined, Phaterpekar pushed the singer and two others down the stairs, injuring one. We have only arrested one suspect (Swapnil Phaterpekar) in connection with the event. The other volunteers came to Nigam’s rescue, and he was safely removed from the area “Rajput stated.
Swapnil Phaterpekar, president of Sanskar Pratisthan and holder of an MBA from London and Bombay, allegedly raced after Nigam for taking a selfie at approximately 11.30 p.m., but his security staff stopped him.
His father, MLA Phaterpekar, apologised on his son’s behalf to the singer, despite admitting that what occurred was wrong but maintaining that it was not a planned attack.
Nigam subsequently filed a complaint with the police, who filed a charge against Swapnil Phaterpekar invoking multiple sections of the Indian Criminal Code; further investigations are ongoing.
This is the second selfie-related incident to terrify celebrities in Mumbai, following the attack on cricketer Prithvi Shaw and the vandalism of his vehicle outside a five-star hotel late on February 15.
