The spot of the face-off. Picture by Pradip Sanyal

Police got a dose of their own medicine on Wednesday when a private security guard traded a push for a push and a slap for a slap with a top cop.

The face-off took place when Ranvir Kumar, joint commissioner of police (traffic) — along with Jawed Shamim, deputy commissioner of police (traffic) and a couple of officers from the traffic department — landed up at 2A, Gariahat Road, address of Kwality restaurant.

Kumar was unavailable for comment, but Shamim told Metro: “A highrise is being planned on the spot and we had gone there to inspect the site… When we wanted to go inside, the security guards misbehaved with us.”

Though he refused to elaborate on what happened next, eyewitness accounts suggest quite a drama unfolded after the traffic department team reached the spot at 10 am.

As the restaurant was closed, the cops knocked on the iron-gate — manned by three Black Cat Security Guards personnel — leading to the driveway. The guards refused the cops right of passage, triggering a heated exchange.

“Malum hai main kaun hoon (Do you know who I am)?” Kumar allegedly shouted, pointing to his IPS badge.

Partha Mitra, one of the security guards, stood his ground, claiming he did not have instructions to let anyone in. Kumar allegedly tried to force his way in and even pushed Mitra, who returned the gesture. In the melee, Kumar’s badge was ripped off.

“The officer slapped the guard, but he hit him back. Then, other officers intervened and dragged the guard into a van and took him away,” recounted a local trader.

Mitra was taken to Gariahat police station and booked under Section 283 of IPC for causing obstruction to public.

S.K. Chatterjee, general manager, Kwality, said: “The construction of a highrise here is sub judice. We don’t know why so many senior police officers came for inspection.”