Dabangg 2 asst director held for drunk driving

An assistant director of Dabangg 2 and his female companion, a third assistant director of July release Lootera, were arrested Friday early morning for driving under the influence of alcohol without a licence, overspeeding on Jogeshwari-Vikhroli Link Road (JVLR) and allegedly misbehaving with cops.

Police said Mark Samuel (25) and Vidushi Sood (26) were allegedly overspeeding on JVLR at 4 am when patrolling policemen heard screams from their car.

They gave a chase and signalled Samuel to slow down and pull over several times, but he allegedly pressed the accelerator even harder. The 20-minute chase ended at Anand Nagar in Oshiwara and Samuel was forced to stop at a nakabandi.

Police found Samuel was drunk and did not have a licence. The two were taken to Oshiwara Police Station where they allegedly misbehaved with cops issuing them a challan. They allegedly created a ruckus and even threatened cops, after which Oshiwara police asked their counterparts in Jogeshwari, where the offence took place, to charge the two.

A medical examination at Cooper Hospital confirmed Samuel was drunk. Friday evening, the assistant directors were produced before a magistrate in Andheri and remanded in police custody till February 21.

Meanwhile, Arbaaz Khan, whose banner produced Dabangg 2, denied Samuel was his employee. "Samuel did work with us on Dabangg 2, but the commitment ended with completion of the film," he said.

Vitthal Damgude, senior inspector, Jogeshwari police station, said: "When we heard the screams, we got suspicious and gave a chase fearing the man might have kidnapped the woman. But when we finally caught up with them in Oshiwara, the accused said they were just talking loudly. We have charged them under IPC sections 279 (rash driving) and 353 (assault or use criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of duty) and sections 184 (driving dangerously) and 185 (drunk driving) of Motor Vehicles Act.

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