Hyderabad: Veteran Telugu actor Mohan Babu's family feud took an ugly turn on Tuesday with bouncers allegedly engaged by him preventing his son and actor Manchu Manoj from entering his palatial Jalpally residence on the city outskirts, resulting in ruckus in the presence of the media.
Known for exhibiting his anger publicly on several occasions, Mohan Babu, who shot to fame in the film industry with his roles as a villain, allegedly beat up a reporter and cameraman of two vernacular TV channels. He hurled abuses at the media personnel who went to cover the chaos.
A TV channel reporter was seriously injured when Mohan Babu attacked him with the mike. The reporter was rushed to a private hospital in Shamshabad where doctors performed a CT scan and found that the zygomatic (cheek) bone was fractured in three places. Doctors said a plastic surgery was required for further treatment.
Police who were present in large numbers, and led by an ACP and inspectors, failed in controlling the quarrelling groups. The police remained silent as Manoj and his followers tried to break the gates and enter the house, instead of intervening. The police also did not prevent Mohan Babu and his bouncers when they pounced on the media personnel.
"On Manoj's invitation we entered the premises. As soon as we entered, Mohan Babu and his bouncers surged towards us. Mohan Babu initially greeted us with folded hands but immediately took the hand mike from the reporter and beat him up. The bouncers also started beating us with sticks and chased us away," said a reporter from another TV channel.
Several media personnel lost their mobile phones, Bluetooth equipment and mikes in the mayhem.
The family feud over sharing of properties had been simmering over some time and came out openly on Sunday when Manoj got admitted into a hospital after allegedly being beaten up by Mohan Babu and his men.
The high drama started on Tuesday evening when Manoj and his wife Mounika Reddy returned to their home after meeting Additional DG Mahesh Bhagawat at the police headquarters. The couple complained of a threat to their lives from Mohan Babu and urged the senior official to ensure proper action on their complaint with Pahadi Shareef police on Monday.
By the time Manoj arrived, a police team including the ACP and an inspector, were with Mohan Babu inside the premises. Mohan Babu, according to eyewitnesses, got packers to load the belongings of Manoj into trucks and take them away.
Accompanied by his followers Manoj tried to enter the house but the security personnel and bouncers apparently engaged by Mohan Babu closed the gate. The couple waited for 15 minutes in their car and Manoj's wife Mounika Reddy called the local police who arrived after some time.
Manoj got out of the car and went towards the gate. The police who were present both inside and outside the premises remained a silent witness when Manoj made desperate attempts to break into the house and picked up arguments with the security personnel.
He was seen asking them to allow him inside to see his seven-month-old child. He broke open the gate and went inside along with about 15 followers. After beating the journalists Mohan Babu and his son Vishnu drove to an unknown location.
