In Gurgaon, two men were arrested for allegedly attacking a scooter rider and demanding money after a minor accident in Sector 34. The incident, which happened on January 12, adds to the city’s growing problem of traffic-related violence. Manishankar, a resident of Sector 104 from Ratangarh, Rajasthan, was riding his scooter near the Sector 33-34 marble market intersection when an SUV hit him. Despite little damage to the SUV, the situation escalated quickly.
According to the police, Rajhans, the driver of the SUV, and his associate, Sahil Thakaran, demanded Rs 20,000 in compensation and forced Manishankar to transfer Rs 14,000 online. When Manishankar called a friend for help, the two accused assaulted both of them and threatened severe consequences. A case was filed at the Sadar police station under charges of endangering safety and rash driving.
The crime unit from Sector 31 arrested the two men on Wednesday. The incident is similar to other road rage cases in the city. In 2023, Gurgaon saw a 15% rise in road rage incidents compared to the previous year. In September 2023, another extortion attempt was made after a minor accident on Golf Course Road.
Rakesh Kumar, assistant commissioner of police (traffic), acknowledged that road rage has become a serious issue in Gurgaon and mentioned that they have increased patrolling in high-risk areas and are taking stricter measures to prevent such incidents. Rajhans, from Sikri Bhagwantpur village in UP, and Sahil Thakaran, from Islampur village in Gurgaon, are in police custody. The SUV involved in the accident was seized, but it was found not to belong to the accused. Rajhans is charged with assault and forced money transfer, while Thakaran is charged with obstructing police action. The investigation is ongoing, and authorities are looking into possible links to other incidents in the area.