Tak was being escorted back in a police van from the sessions court in Fort to Arthur Road Jail, along with three to four other inmates, when he attempted to school an alleged robber, Madan Govind Chouhan, in model behaviour. Madan had, in February this year, hurled a shoe at a sessions court judge.

On Friday, when the police van reached the Khada Parsi junction in Byculla West, Tak allegedly reprimanded Madan for it, which blew up into a heated argument. “A preliminary probe revealed that Tak's reprimand angered Madan, who started abusing Tak and then assaulted him,” a senior police officer told mid-day.

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Cops drawn in
A police constable, Kambale, initially tried to break up the fight, but when Madan allegedly began assaulting Tak, police sub-inspector Nitin Kedu Khairnar of the Tardeo local arms division intervened.

“I have thrown a shoe at a judge. You policemen can't harm me,” Madan allegedly claimed. When Khairnar approached him, Madan pushed him down and kicked him.

Madan's brother, Mukesh Govind Chouhan, who, too, is facing charges of robbery and dacoity, allegedly joined him in thrashing Tak and Khairnar even as the police vehicle was on the move.

Sandeep Suresh Pardeshi, sub-inspector with the Tardeo local arms division, who was part of the team escorting the prison inmates, jumped to his colleagues' aid, but was pushed aside by Madan.

Finally overpowered
The scuffle drew the attention of three police officers sitting in the front of the van, and pulled over near Bakra Adda near Chinchpokli. Madan and Mukesh were overpowered, but the former continued to abuse and threaten Tak. “He threatened to kill him inside the jail or get him murdered outside the court,” said an Agripada police officer.

Pardeshi, whose hand was cut during the assault and was profusely bleeding, was rushed to a hospital.

The scuffle was reported to NM Joshi Marg police station, which registered a zero FIR and transferred the case to the Agripada police station (under whose jurisdiction the brawl had begun).

The Chouhan brothers have been booked under sections 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), 506 (2) (criminal intimidation) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the IPC.

“We will take custody of the accused inmates for investigation after obtaining permission from the court,” said Sarambalkar. The Chouhan siblings hail from Delhi, and have a number of robbery and dacoity cases registered against them at the RCF and Nehru Nagar police stations, and in New Delhi.