mid day editorial: Assault is assault, whether by star or commoner

Chaos reigned as a small-time TV actor, Ruhi Singh who has starred in Doordarshan shows, unleashed havoc in Bandra, after she wasn't allowed to use the KFC washroom. The actor, identified as Ruhi Singh, slapped a policeman, grabbed his official badge and fled in her car while she was allegedly inebriated and drove rashly before crashing into seven vehicles.

According to a report in this paper, after the actor and her friends Rahul Gaud and Swapnil Srivastav were not allowed to use the washroom a fight ensued with the staffers of the restaurant. A scuffle took place, the men were detained, and the woman has been asked to surrender in two days by the Khar police station.

The strictest action has to be taken against the three people involved. The woman was also allegedly drunk and it was just fortunate that she did not run anybody over when she fled in the car. When a police team reaches the spot, they must have policewomen. If women had been present in the team at the Bandra outlet then the woman would have been caught at the spot.

Instead, she exploited that loophole, slapped a male cop and took off in her car. Small time or big time actors cannot think they can take the law into their hands, however famous or infamous they may be.

From the initial report it looks like an ego battle, as the trio reacted when they were barred from using the facility. They may have been stopped because they were drunk or another reason altogether, however this is reprehensible.

Make an example of this and give them no leeway. We are always quick to point out that the polic eare prone to violence, and police high handedness. This time, the police have been at the receiving end for doing their job. It is time to condemn that too with as much alacrity and force that we would if it was the other way around.

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