Indian brothers arrested for fighting on MTR with family of 8

Three Indian men have been arrested for assault after fighting with a Hong Kong family of eight on the MTR.

The fight started in a train compartment and continued on to the platform where the three Indians were arrested by the police. Others involved were sent to hospital.

The three men, aged 17, 19 and 24, appeared drunk when they boarded the train at East Tsim Sha Tsui Station, Ming Pao Daily reports.

One of them bumped a 19-year-old woman and started harassing her. A quarrel ensued between her group -- six men and two women -- with the Indian brothers.

A video clip taken by a passenger shows the Indians cursing and banging on the glass panel.

One of the brothers slapped a male member of the woman's party. He was subdued by other passengers.

The trio then pleaded with other passengers not to call the police, saying they just had too much to drink.

Officers deployed police dogs in making the arrests on the grounds of physical assault.

A 24-year-old man was injured but refused to be sent to hospital. The eight Hong Kong citizens in his group were aged 22 to 61.

The case is being handled by the Yau Tsim District Crime Investigation Unit.

Solicitor Raymond Tang said hitting back in a fight initiated by others can still make the person liable to a charge of fighting in public with the intent to harm others, according to news website HK01.com.

Tang said the four Hong Kong men involved in the fight could also be arrested for fighting.

He said the best response is to run away from an attacker instead of engaging in a fight.

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