The Army claimed that Pradeep Garathkar, the PPS leader who was once mayor of Indapur, was behind the attack on three lieutenants on Dhole-Patil Road on Friday morning.

An FIR lodged by Lieutenant Avinish Chambiyal (22) of the Assam Regiment stated that he and two of his colleagues were brutally assaulted following an altercation with Garathkar.

But Garathkar too lodged an FIR, stating that Lt Chambiyal tried to molest his wife. Garathkar has alleged that Chambiyal and his colleagues tried to molest his wife on board a luxury bus plying from Indore to Pune.

Meanwhile, Brigadier Madan Gopal, sub-area commander, while claiming that his officers were innocent, said they would be instituting an inquiry into the incident.

``They were threatened by Garathkar in the bus who claimed that he was an influential man and would `take care' of them when they arrived in Pune.'' Brig Gopal, however, added that if the officers were found guilty on any count, necessary action would be taken against them.

According to the FIR lodged by Lt Chambiyal, the altercation that sparked off the incident occurred on the bus on Thursday night. The FIR states that Lt Chambiyal, along with Lt Ashok Paungal (23) and Lt Sameer Ramteerthkar (22) were on their way from Infantry School, Mhow, when they got into a fight with Garathkar. Garathkar, who occupied the seat in front of Lt Chambiyal, pushed his seat back causing inconvenience to him.

According to Lt Chambiyal, Garathkar refused to move his seat forward and this led to an altercation which finally saw the bus staff intervene to cool tempers. Things flared up between the two when Garathkar and his wife allegedly threatened them that he would `take care' of them when they arrived in Pune. In the morning, the FIR states, when the bus stopped at Ahmednagar, Garathkar called up Pune and asked his men to wait for them at the Pune bus stop.

When Lt Chambiyal and his colleagues disembarked, they were surrounded by around 50 men who started assaulting them brutally. Even though the officers offered to settle matters at the nearby police station, they were allegedly attacked with sticks and stones by the men waiting at the bus stop.

Some senior army officials who rushed to the spot alleged that the police officers present misbehaved and initially refused to lodge an FIR despite Lt Chambiyal recognising seven of the attackers.

An FIR was lodged only after the military police arrived on the scene. Later, the police detained Garathkar, Narayan Pandurang Kade and Shivaji Chavan.

The three lieutenants were taken to Sassoon hospital. Lt Ramteerthkar received two stitches on his head while Lt Paungal and Lt Chambiyal were badly bruised.

But Garathkar's FIR gives a different story. He has alleged that they were sleeping in their seats when Lt Chambiyal tried to molest his wife. The Bund Garden police have registered a case of molestation and are probing the matter.