'Shocking' Chinnaswamy scenes; families of IPS, I-T officers clash during RCB vs CSK: 'Made unwelcome physical contact'

While Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) battled it out in a thrilling contest at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Saturday, which went down to the wire, a "shocking" scene unfolded in the elite Diamond box where families of two top-ranked government officials clashed over a seat. The showdown in the Chinnaswamy stand spilt out of the stadium as both parties landed at the Cubbon Park police station.

The clash of egos took place between the families of an IPS officer and that of an income tax commissioner. According to a report in the Times of India, the IPS officer's family accused the other party of intimidation, sexual harassment and outraging modesty. The I-T commissioner's family denied the allegations.

"But what's more shocking is it all took place in the complimentary hospitality box even as several senior government officials watched without intervening," a senior cop said.

The report added that the incident occurred when the IPS officer's daughter, who was at the venue with his brother, stepped out of the seating area briefly to go to the restroom. "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.

The brother-sister duo then called their parents, who were at home. On his way to the stadium, the IPS officer asked for help from his seniors, but with no one paying heed to him, his wife went to the 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" and added that they possess visual evidence of the incident, as his son had recorded it on his mobile phone. It was also noted that there were no police on duty in the Diamond box when the incident occurred.

A case was registered against the I-T commissioner's family 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). The report concluded, saying that the police will take due action against the accused after their investigation.