The tension started last evening itself, with the police saying that four men including a lawyer -- manhandled an Assistant Commissioner of Police at the Vasant Kunj police station. The four Vision Education Society secretary S.A.S. Kiramani, Vision School of Management director S.K. Acharya, executive director I.P. Singh and advocate Suhail Ahmed Siddiqui -- say that the ACP abused them and then other policemen beat them up before taking them into custody.

DCP (South-west) P.K. Bharadwaj said: ``ACP Mishra had called the four men to the police station to investigate the case. There are two parties staking claims to the director's post of Vision Education Society. While ex-director S.K. Acharya had reportedly been dismissed earlier, he apparently did not leave office and the new director Maheshwari was not allowed entry. The president of the society, Shashi Kiran, had reported the matter to the police. During the inquiry by the ACP, the four men manhandled him. They were arrested.'' The case is pending with the Delhi High Court.

The four were arrested under Sections 34 (common intention), 120-B (criminal conspiracy), 186 (obstructing public servant), 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharging his duty), 452 (house trespass) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code.

They were produced in the court of Metropolitan Magistrate Daya Prakash this afternoon, who granted them bail. While Siddiqui was given bail on a personal bond of Rs 5,000, the other three were given bail on a personal bond of Rs 10,000 and one surety of the same amount.

The trouble started before the men were produced in court. Scores of lawyers gathered there to protest against the arrest of one of their colleagues. The advocates then attacked the policemen who were bringing the four accused to court -- sub-inspector Lokendra Kumar, head constable Vir Singh, constable Pankaj and another constable.