Abhijeet Sawant (top), Prajakta Shukre

Mumbai, Dec. 1: Indian Idol star Abhijeet Sawant got involved in a brawl with a mob last night after another contestant of the show’s first edition dashed her car into a scooter, injuring the two riders.

Prajakta Shukre, 23, was at the wheel of her Honda City (MH04-DW-3193) when she lost control and knocked down Tauhid Wahid Khan, 19, and Tauhir Khan, 14, in suburban Santacruz, police said. There were three female friends with Prajakta.

When a mob gathered around Prajakta’s car, Sawant who was following in his Audi intervened. Witnesses said the cars of the two Indian Idol 2005 contestants and a third one had been racing each other when the accident happened.

But Sawant refuted this. “We were not into any race during the accident. The boys on the bike were at fault too. But after the incident, the mob gathered around us. The situation got out of hand as the mob turning abusive,” he said today.

The police arrested Prajakta and took her to Santacruz police station, from where she was sent for tests to determine if she had been driving under the influence of alcohol. Sawant accompanied her.

After tests proved negative, Prajakta was booked for rash and negligent driving and causing grievous hurt. She was freed on bail bond of Rs 5,000 early today, an officer said.

Tauhid had minor injuries on his forehead while Tahir suffered a fracture in his leg. Both were taken to Nanavati hospital. Tauhid has been discharged.

In September, another Indian Idol contestant, Rahul Saxena, was injured in an on the Aurangabad-Jalna highway. Another reality show contestant, Toshi Sabri, met with an accident in Nashik, also in September.