Pune, May 28 (IANS): A serious road rage incident has come to light in the Wagholi area of Pune district, Maharashtra, where occupants of a car allegedly assaulted a couple and their three-year-old child who were travelling on a motorcycle on Tuesday evening. The complainant, Shantanu Niranjan Shukla (35), an engineer and resident of Majestic City in Wagholi, was returning home with his wife Vartika and their son Shivan after a shopping trip to Decathlon when a car approaching from the Kharadi side allegedly collided with their motorcycle near Soyrik Garden Chowk at around 7 pm. When the family requested the driver to be more careful, the occupants of the car allegedly responded with verbal abuse that continued until Wagholi Chowk. Near Avhalwadi Phata Chowk, the car driver allegedly stopped the vehicle deliberately and blocked the motorcycle’s path, causing the family to fall onto the road, following which one of the accused threatened Shantanu saying “I will finish you off right here” before physically assaulting him. During the scuffle, the accused allegedly struck the three-year-old child on the face, causing injuries to his lip and resulting in bleeding, while two women from the car got out and assaulted Vartika Shukla by pulling her hair when she attempted to intervene.
Following the incident, the family approached the Wagholi Police Station, where they were initially directed to seek medical treatment before lodging a formal complaint. The family received treatment at IMAX Hospital in Wagholi, after which a case was registered under Sections 115(2), 351(2), 352 and 281 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023, along with Sections 184, 119 and 177 of the Motor Vehicles Act 1988. Legal action is being initiated against four accused persons, including the WagonR driver, another male occupant and two women. Further investigation into the matter is underway.