Nagpur: A Friendship Day celebration at Eden Greenz on Kamptee Road turned controversial late Sunday night when police were called to break up a dispute between two groups, only for the organiser to allegedly invoke the name of Maharashtra Guardian Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule to deter police action.

The incident came to light after a video of the organiser purportedly threatening police officers went viral on Monday. In the clip, a man, identified as a member of the organising committee, can be heard stating, “I will directly talk to Bawankule,” in what appears to be an attempt to use political influence to avoid consequences.

Old Kamptee police said they rushed to the venue after receiving a complaint about a fight during the Friends & Beyond party. “We found a young crowd engaged in an argument. Preventive measures were taken, the music was stopped, and the matter was resolved amicably without an FIR,” said police station in-charge Prashant Jumde.

However, sources revealed that when an officer asked the organiser to speak with a senior official about alleged misbehaviour, he openly dropped the minister’s name. The video evidence has caused embarrassment within the police department and triggered public criticism.

DCP Zone V Niketan Kadam confirmed he had seen the footage and would summon the organiser for questioning. He stressed that political name-dropping was unacceptable and that the matter would be investigated.

Nagpur, home to several prominent political leaders, has seen repeated incidents where event organisers allegedly misuse political connections to intimidate law enforcement. This latest episode has reignited concerns about political interference in policing.