Reel life Tarzan gets beaten after night out

Police have arrested two people for allegedly thrashing yesteryear actor Hemant Birje outside his residence in Lokhandwala, Andheri (W), after they assaulted him with a bamboo stick in the wee hours of Tuesday morning. Cops said that, in his complaint, Birje stated that his two friends attacked him over the issue of him not attending one of their niece's wedding ceremonies.

Assaulted: Hemant Birje

Cops arrested Kishore Saproo (53), and Phasi Rehman (43), immediately after the complaint was registered at Oshiwara police station, and booked them under section 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means) and 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace) of the IPC.

"After he [Birje] was injured, we arrested the two accused and produced them in the court," said Dilip Rupawate, senior inspector at Oshiwara police station.

Birje, meanwhile, was rushed to a nearby hospital and was discharged after preliminary treatment was administered to him.

Saproo and Rehman, however, in their statement told cops that Birje was not acquainted with Saproo, but was Rehman's friend.

According to their version to the police, on Monday night, Saproo called Rehman and asked him to join him for a drink. Rehman then telephoned Birje and asked him to join them.

They purchased alcohol from a wine shop near Andheri RTO, and proceeded towards Lokhandwala where they parked the car and started guzzling the booze.

"The accused said that around 3 am, when the duo were dropping the actor home, Birje started punching Saproo as the latter told him that the alcohol was over, and Birje wanted more alcohol. Saproo picked up a bamboo stick lying nearby and hit him," said a police officer.

According to Birje's statement to the cops, the incident occurred when Birje and the two accused were walking close to Birje's residence. Birje told cops that Saproo had invited him for his niece's wedding. But, because he did not attend the wedding, they called him outside his house and beat him up on the back of his head with a bamboo stick.u00a0