Stand-up comedian Pranit More was allegedly beaten in Maharashtra’s Solapur by a group of guys claiming to Bollywood debutante Veer Pahariya’s admirers. In a social media post by the comedian’s team, the “horrifying incident” took place on Sunday evening following the comedian’s performance at Solapur’s 24K Kraft Brewzz. His team said that a gang of 11-12 males, disguised as fans, severely attacked him, hitting and kicking him repeatedly, leaving him injured. Pranit More’s team identified one of the attackers as Tanveer Shaikh, the leader of the group, who, along with his crew, reportedly targeted him for making jokes about the Bollywood actor.
“The leader of this attack was Tanveer Shaikh, and his crew made it obvious why they were doing this, they wanted to silence Pranit for making jokes about Bollywood debutante Veer Pahariya. One of them even said, ‘Agli Baar Veer Paharaiya baba pe joke maarke dikha! (Next time, try cracking a joke on Veer Paharaiya)’ – a clear warning that heavier penalties would follow if he dared to laugh about him again,” the message read.
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The comedian’s team stated that the venue of the concert, 24K Kraft Brewzz, had no security, and despite their seeking access to CCTV camera footage, the management denied it. The comic said that the police were also summoned, but no help arrived at the spot.
In reaction, Veer Pahariya, who recently made his debut with Akshay Kumar-starrer Sky Force, expressed amazement at the event and apologised to the comic.
“Shocked and extremely grieved by what happened, Pranit. I want to make it perfectly clear that I had no involvement in this and strongly condemn any type of violence. I’ve always taken trolling in stride and would never promote damage toward anyone, especially a fellow artist. I’m extremely sorry this occurred to you, and I will do anything I can to ensure those guilty are held accountable. Sending you strength,” the actor wrote in the comments section.
Separately, the location of the performance 24K Kraft Brewzz also published an explanation on the incident. “We are profoundly concerned by the tragedy that took occurred and wish to explain a few points. The event was planned by an external artist management organisation, and while the venue was not responsible for the arrangements, our priority in that moment was assuring the safety of everyone participating. Our personnel acted immediately and securely rescued the artist from the scene to prevent any further escalation,” the eatery added.
“We do not condone violence in any form and believe that such matters should be handled through the right judicial channels solely. We are completely cooperating with all the stakeholders on all security considerations to ensure a safe atmosphere for everyone. We support guaranteeing respect for everybody and safety,” it said.
