Vinod Kambli, wife Andrea accused of assaulting Ankit Tiwari’s father at Inorbit mall

The crowd at Inorbit Mall in Malad witnessed tense drama on Sunday afternoon when former India cricketer Vinod Kambli and his wife Andrea Hewitt got into an altercation with singer Ankit Tiwari’s father over his alleged inappropriate behaviour.

Ankit was visiting the mall with his father Raj Kumar Tiwari, his mother, brother Ankur Tiwari, Ankur’s wife and the latter’s daughter.

According to a Mumbai Mirror report, Kambli and Andrea alleged that Raj Kumar deliberately brushed his hand against Andrea.

The singer’s brother Ankur, however, has claimed that it was the couple that assaulted his father and threatened the onlookers who were trying to record the ruckus on their phones.

Kambli and Andrea’s take

“We were at the Game Zone in the mall around 3 pm when my wife caught hold of an old man’s hand. He had deliberately brushed his hand against her and when she caught him in the act, he pushed her away.

“Minutes later when we were at the food court, two men, who we assume were the man’s sons, tried to attack my wife. When I told them to back off, they told me, ‘You don’t know who we are’,” Kambli told Mumbai Mirror.

He also tweeted about the incident to Mumbai Police. His wife, meanwhile, claimed that the Tiwaris tried to take advantage of the crowd.

“I was playing with my children when this guy took the opportunity to rub his hand against me. Maybe he thought nothing would happen because it was crowded. When I caught his hand, I was surprised to see this old man. He appeared embarrassed because I had caught him red-handed.

“He appeared scared, and said something in Hindi, on the lines that ‘I cannot do something like this’. The inappropriate touching ka zamaana is over. Such things should be dealt with strictly,” Andrea said.

Tiwaris’ claim

Ankur Tiwari told the daily that his father, a retired banker, was disoriented after the assault.

“My father, a retired bank employee, had accompanied my daughter to the Game Zone. My father told me he spotted Vinod Kambli there, and as he was walking past a woman, he blacked out.

“My father was disoriented after the attack. He couldn’t believe he had been punched, and that a woman was screaming, accusing him of brushing his hand against her. I asked my father to identify the woman, and we realised she was Kambli’s wife,” Ankur said.

Ankur further claimed that he was pushed aside and abused when he said that he wanted to speak with them. “Kambli’s wife removed her sandal and threatened to hit me with it,” he added.

Investigation underway

Despite the allegations, Kambli and Andrea did not file a complaint with the cops initially.

Ankur and his father, however, approached Bangur Nagar Police Station immediately after the incident, following which a non-cognizable complaint was filed against the couple.

“We are probing the matter, after which necessary action will be initiated. As of now, a non-cognisable offence has been registered,” senior inspector Vinay Bane from Bangur Nagar Police Station was quoted as saying.

Kambli reportedly filed a counter-complaint against Raj Kumar Tiwari later.