Mumbai Marathon supervisors beat gardener black and blue

A 32-year-old gardener of Barnet Cricket Club at Azad Maidan was beaten up earlier this week allegedly by two supervisors hired on contract for the Mumbai Marathon.

He is being treated at GT Hospital. The Azad Maidan police have arrested the supervisors - Kurla resident Ashish Mishra (28) and Ghatkopar resident Divesh Joshi (26).

Santosh Mangle was asleep on the cricket ground when the two began making inquiries with him about their allegedly stolen belongings around midnight on January 16. They then accused him of having stolen those and beat him.

Jolted out of sleep
"They accused me of stealing them. When I pleaded innocence, they began beating me with a bamboo stick," he said.

Four caretakers of Azad Maidan then rushed to his aid. Shaikh Abuasad, one of the caretakers, said the gardener sustained multiple fractures due to the assault. "Even after the police arrived at the spot, the two supervisors continued to assault him."

No serious injury
Mukund Tayade, medical superintendent, GT Hospital, said Mangle is out of danger. "He has sustained a fracture in a tibia (shin bone). His injuries don't require any surgery. A CT scan showed no grave injury."

Senior inspector Vijay Kadam said Mishra and Joshi had been hired for the marathon by event contractors Jess Ideas. "They were produced in court, which sent them to judicial custody."