Scores of passers-by remained silent spectators as the history-sheeter, Moinuddin Qureshi, thrashed the three policemen accompanying him for nearly five minutes. Interestingly, the incident took place at a spot located 100 feet away from a police chowky on the campus of Sassoon Hospital.

The hapless policemen were rescued by their colleagues who also overpowered Moin. Later, Moin was taken to the Bund Garden police station. The in-charge of the team escorting Moin, assistant sub-inspector Shankar Mahadeo Sutar, later lodged a first information report (FIR) against him.

Police inspector Vishwas Patil said Moin, who is lodged at Yerawada Central Prison, was brought to Sassoon hospital along with nine other prisoners for a medical check-up after he complained of chest pain. A team of two head constables and seven constables was deployed to escort the prisoners. ASI Sutar, who led the team, had detailed a head constable and a constable to take care of Moin as his involvement is suspected in a serious crime. Besides, the policemen escorting Moin had also handcuffed him.

Inspector Patil said the policemen had kept the prisoners in a van while they waited for the doctors to return on duty after the lunch hour when Moin's wife reached there in an autorickshaw.

On seeing his wife, Inspector Patil said, Moin sought time to meet her. The history-sheeter attacked the policemen after ASI Sutar refused to allow him to meet his wife, he added Moin was taken into custody along with some other youths from Kondhwa area five months ago after one of his relatives was arrested in Lucknow while smuggling sophisticated weapons from Nepal. He was recently slapped charged under relevant sections of the Maharashtra Prevention of Organised Crime Act.