This Article is From May 10, 2013

Assault on techies a minor scuffle: Ram Charan Teja

Assault on techies a minor scuffle: Ram Charan Teja
Hyderabad: Telugu actor Ram Charan Teja, who was embroiled in a controversy over beating up of two software professionals in Hyderabad, yesterday termed the incident as a "minor scuffle" between his security men and the techies.

"It is wrong to say that I beat them (Phanish and Kalyan). It was a minor scuffle between those two persons and my security men. I stand by my people (bodyguards), who also received injuries in the scuffle," Ram Charan, son of Union Tourism Minister K Chiranjeevi, told reporters.

After the alleged incident on Sunday, the techies had accused Ram Charan of getting them assaulted by his bodyguards at Banjara Hills following an argument over giving side to the actor's vehicle.

Both of them went to Banjara Hills Police Station but did not lodge any complaint.

"They misbehaved with me and went to police station to lodge a complaint but did not. Even I could have lodged a complaint but I did not want to press charges against them keeping in view their careers," the actor said.

Replying to queries of reporters, Ram Charan blamed a section of media which carried pictures showing him looking at techies being roughed up by two safari-clad men.

"Those pictures (that appeared in newspapers) are morphed," he alleged.

Asking the media not to carry this episode further, Ram Charan said "Don't take this forward anymore."

The Telangana Advocates JAC (TAJAC) had approached the Hyderabad Police over the incident and sought for suo-motu booking of a case against Ram Charan and his bodyguards.

However, Hyderabad Police Commissioner Anurag Sharma told them that action would be initiated in the matter only if Kalyan and Phanish lodged a complaint with them.

The Andhra Pradesh State Human Rights Commission had on Wednesday called for a report from city police in connection with the incident.

Ram Charan said he asked his security to "deal" with the duo only after their behaviour became "irritable and intrusive".

"On Sunday last, I wanted to spend time with my family. My wife and me were driving out for lunch when we had to slow down near the signal on Road No. 1 in Banjara Hills. Two young men travelling in their car started clicking our pictures. In no time they were near my car window clicking away. It started getting uncomfortable," he said.

The actor said since his wife was accompanying him, he gestured them to move away as their behaviour was "irritable".

"I gestured to them to move as it was getting irritable. Instead they chose to be rude which upset me," he said.

"Their rude response to me and my wife prompted me to ask my security to deal with them. They were in an excited state, barefoot, and looked slightly haggard," he said.

The 28-year-old actor said he wanted to clear the air on the issue as no one should assume that he behaved in a high- handed manner only because he is a celebrity.

"If I were to behave that way, maybe I would have myself got into the ruckus rather than asking my security to deal with it," he said.

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