Road rage in western India: journalist assaults Ola driver, leaves him with brain injuries after minor accident
by Aditi VermaA road rage incident in western India’s Maharashtra left a 24-year-old Ola driver grievously injured after a journalist assaulted him following a minor accident involving an Audi Q3.
The incident took place at the Asalpha area of Ghatkopar West in Mumbai on August 18.
Visuals showed at a gate entrance, two cars were entering when an elderly driver accidentally bumped into the car in front from behind. The driver of the car in front, enraged by the collision, gets out and forcefully pulls the elderly driver out of his car, throwing him to the ground. A crowd quickly gathers at the scene, and a heated argument ensues among the onlookers.
In a shocking incident that has gone viral on social media, a 24-year-old Ola driver, Kaimuddin Moinuddhin Quereshi, was brutally assaulted by a Ghatkopar resident, Rishabh Bibhash Chakravorthy, following a minor collision between the cab and an Audi Q3 in Mumbai’s Asalpha area. The altercation, which occurred around midnight on August 18, 2024, escalated rapidly when Chakravorthy, a journalist, lifted Quereshi and slammed him onto the ground in front of the security personnel at The Address housing complex.
According to the FIR filed by the Parksite Police, the incident began when Quereshi’s cab brushed against the Audi driven by Chakravorthy in Ghatkopar (W). The situation escalated when a woman, believed to be Chakravorthy’s mother, allegedly snatched the cab’s navigation device, prompting Quereshi to follow the Audi to The Address housing complex. Once there, the taxi slightly bumped into the Audi again, sparking a violent reaction from Chakravorthy.
Video footage shows Chakravorthy, alongside his wife Antara Ghosh and his mother, getting out of the Audi and engaging in a heated argument with the cab driver. Chakravorthy then assaulted Quereshi, throwing him violently to the ground, leading to severe head injuries that required intensive care. Quereshi was initially rushed to Rajawadi Hospital and later transferred to JJ Hospital due to the severity of his brain injuries. He was discharged from the ICU on Thursday.
The Parksite Police have registered an FIR against Chakravorthy and his wife Antara Ghosh under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for voluntarily causing hurt, grievous hurt, criminal intimidation, and intentional insult with intent to provoke a breach of peace. Notices have been sent to the couple under Section 35 (3) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, which has recently replaced the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC).
Santosh Ghatekar, the senior police inspector of the Parksite Police station, stated that Chakravorthy had been summoned to the police station for interrogation and to record his statement. Following this, Antara Ghosh will also be called in to provide her statement, which will be collectively added to the charge sheet.
The viral video of the incident has sparked outrage, highlighting the growing issue of road rage and the need for stringent measures to ensure public safety on the roads.
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