Mahesh Sharma staff beats up society guards

A member of Union minister Mahesh Sharma’s security team allegedly assaulted guards of a housing society in Ghaziabad over purported “delay” in opening the gate of the complex and the incident was recorded on CCTV.

The guards were assaulted on Thursday evening after one of them intercepted the minister’s cavalcade and questioned his staff about the flat they wanted to visit in the complex, according to some residents of the society. Mr Sharma had gone to meet some relatives in the highrise residential block for Raksha Bandhan festival on Thursday. His security staff members were following him in another car. The incident took place at the main entrance of the housing society when the security guards stopped several cars as part of the security drill and inquired about the occupants of the cars.

“It took hardly two minutes for us to open the gate, still the minister’s security thrashed and abused us. We were just doing our job,” said Abhay Pratap Singh, one of the men assaulted at the Ashiana Green Apartments in Ghaziabad on Thursday.

This led to some verbal altercation and one of the persons from the minister’s cavalcade thrashed the guards at the main entrance. The residents were agitated over the issue and approached the RWA to lodge a protest.

The guards at the gate had reportedly taken time to try and contact Mr Sharma’s relatives to verify his details, but the intercom was not functioning.

“We took 2-3 minutes longer than we usually do. After the minister’s car was allowed to go, the second car in the motorcade stopped, a guard came out and started slapping us,” said 27-year-old Ajay Sharma, one of the watchmen.

The Union minister said he had apologised for the behaviour of his staff. “When I came to know of the incident, unconditionally, without finding out who is guilty, I apologised to the guards and the residents’ association,” said Mr Sharma.

“I have also suspended my security guard and have asked the police to inquire into the incident. I have also apologised to the RWA president. If two security guards are fighting what more can a minister do ” he added.

The police said it has received a complaint from the RWA against one security staff member of the minister.