Police charge fans jostling for tickets

Indian policemen baton charge cricket fans queuing to buy tickets for Saturday's World Cup match between India and South Africa outside the Vidarbha Cricket Association stadium in Nagpur, India, Tuesday, March 8, 2011. (AP Photo/ Navin Varma)

By AP

NAGPUR, India (AP) — Police wielding sticks charged hundreds of fans queuing outside the Vidarbha Cricket Association stadium in Nagpur to buy tickets for Saturday's World Cup match between India and South Africa.

The incident happened on Tuesday morning when fans rushed ticket counters and broke barriers.

Some people received minor injuries in the charge, but police refused to comment on their use of force.

The baton charge followed a similar police action on Feb. 24 in Bangalore when fans queued overnight for tickets to the India vs. England match.

Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said in New Delhi that though it was sad to see cricket fans being beaten, it was wrong to blame policemen all the time.

"They do not want to cane people," Dhoni said ahead of a match against the Netherlands on Wednesday. "It is only when the situation goes out of control and they fear a stampede that they try to control the crowd in such fashion."

Police in India usually use bamboo sticks, known as 'lathis', to control crowds.