Telangana News

Three news photographers were beaten up by the security staff of the Tata Group, making it one more ugly moment after the public slugfest between the incumbent chairman Ratan Tata and the ousted chairman Cyrus Mistry.

Reportedly, the photographers were trying to click pictures of Mistry, who arrived there to chair a board meeting of the Tata Group firm, Indian Hotels Company Ltd (IGHCL) and consider quarterly financial performance of the company.

“The security came outside of the building and started hitting photojournalists as in the scuffle to get a picture of Mistry, one of our tribe's camera hit the face of a security personnel. Enraged, the security staff started chasing journalists in a bid to attack us. In my 20 years of journalistic career, this is something I have never seen before at the Bombay House premises,” Atul Kamble, a photographer of popular newspaper said.

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On the other side, Debashis Ray, Tata Group spokesperson, said he apologised to the journalists present for the incident. “I went and spoke to everyone who was present outside. I apologize to everyone who was present. Three of our security personnel got hurt and have been taken to hospital. I understand a few photographers have been hurt and taken to hospital as well,” Ray said.

“Just as the photographers were doing their job, so was our security who were trying to control the crowd. One of our security men was hit by a camera of a photographer. However, I admit that the security should not have got enraged,” Ray said.

The Mumbai Press Club condemned the attacks. “The Mumbai Press Club does not expect a corporate house like Tatas to indulge in violent practices against media persons, and demands explanation from the corporate authorities who allowed security personnel to take this extreme step,” the Press Club said in a press release.