Fans and media who flocked to Safeer Mall in Sharjah to see to Bollywood superstar Salman Khan on Friday night were manhandled and beaten by private security staff it was claimed yesterday. Khan was in town to open a shoe shop, Red Tape, and fans and media alike had been invited to attend via text messages that were sent the previous week.
Thousands of people turned up to see him but as the crowd began to surge forward, knocking some people to the ground, security became very heavy handed. Khan reached the mall at around 8pm but was unable to enter for at least half-an-hour due to the large crowds. He finally entered through a back door but had to be moved out within minutes without cutting the ribbon due to the growing frenzy.
“We were treated like animals. The security pushed me and even used belts on me,” said Hussain Haidery, a photographer who was there. The security are then alleged to have showered blows on the crowd, using aluminum rods and belts on the fans to push them out of the shop. “We had identity cards and tried telling them we were the media but they just refused to hear us out,” said Haidery.
7DAYS also received letters from angry fans questioning why they were invited to the mall in the first place. “They called everyone and announced on the radio that Salman Khan was coming to the mall and when people turn up they just beat us. Why did they call us if they cannot control the crowd?” asked one fan who claimed to have been beaten by security guards.
Safeer Mall’s management did not want to comment about the incident but said they would be investigating the matter.
