Journalists manhandled at 'Karthik Calling Karthik' press meet

Journalists were allegedly manhandled by private security guards during a press meet held for promotion of Deepika Padukone and Farhan Akhtar starrer Karthik Calling Karthik (KCK) at a cinema theatre in Surat today, police said.

The incident took place when Padukone, along with co-star Farhan Akhtar arrived to address a press conference at the Rajhans Cinema theatre on Pal road, they said.

According to police, initially there was a an altercation between the press photographers and organisers when the later stopped the former from entering the room where the press conference was to be held.

The altercation grew into a scuffle and some photographers, wanting to click pictures of the stars were pushed and manhandled by private security guards of the organisers, they said.

Following the incident media persons boycotted the press meet and shouted slogans against the organisers.

One of the photographers of a local daily Deepak Pawar said,"We were called by the organisers and issued press passes for entry. But when we were entering we were stopped."

He said that the organisers were pushing in their people and kicking them out.

Additional police was called in to control the crowd which had come to see the Bollywood actors whose film is scheduled for release next week.