'I was lathi-charged, while doing my job'

All of a sudden, around 3.15pm, I smelt smoke and figured that something was not right. This agitated the crowd and everyone began to run. I continued taking photographs, while the frenzied mob became violent. When I came out of the maidan, I saw an Outside Broadcast (OB) van being set on fire. The police officers were unable to control the mob, as they were very few in number.u00a0

Mid Day senior photographer Atul Kamble was attacked by cops during the protest yesterday

I stuck with the crowd while they ran out of the maidan. But when the police force came in, I moved to the other side of the road, as I felt I would be safer there. However, the police officers lathi-charged me while I was doing my job. I was just clicking pictures. They hit me on my head and hands. My CT scan and X-ray have been conducted and doctors have put me under observation for the night.

When I told State Home Minister RR Patil and Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan, who came to meet the injured at the hospital, that I am a journalist, they were shocked.