A police constable and Girjesh Goud, widely recognized as ‘The Living Statue’ or ‘Golden Man’ in Mumbai’s Bandstand, has garnered significant attention amid concerns of alleged police brutality. A video of the confrontation has gone viral on social media, depicting the constable engaging in a physical altercation with the artist, involving pushing, shoving, and even the use of a stick. However, the situation took a turn when onlookers at the scene stepped in to assist the artist. Several bystanders made efforts to free Goud from the constable’s grip, ultimately defusing the heated situation. The incident gained public attention after Goud shared the video on his Instagram account. An investigation has since been launched to determine whether the constable was under the influence of alcohol during the altercation.
In his Instagram post, Goud revealed that the video was recorded at approximately 8 pm on a Monday at Bandra Bandstand. He described how an allegedly intoxicated police officer first assaulted him with a stick. When Goud attempted to resist, the officer proceeded to grab him by the neck, nearly choking him in the process. The artist further disclosed that the officer had threatened to take him to the police station and file a case against him. In an appeal to the online community, he emphasized his identity as an artist with only his Instagram followers as friends and requested them to share the video widely. This incident has drawn substantial outrage, renewing concerns about the treatment of artists and the use of force by law enforcement officers.
