Kanpur Road Rage Case: BJP Workers Stage Protest, Demand Fair Trial

A group of BJP workers protested outside the office of the city police commissioner here demanding a free and fair investigation into the road rage incident involving a BJP corporator’s husband and his aides, officials said on Thursday.

The police on Wednesday announced a cash reward of Rs 25,000 on the arrest of Ankit Shuka, the husband of BJP corporator Saumya Shukla, and his aides for allegedly thrashing medical equipment shop owner Amol Deep Bhatia near the City Club here on Sunday night.

Police have formed 10 teams to nab five persons, including Ankit Shukla, and have been looking for the accused in Kanpur and neighbouring districts, an official said on Wednesday. Hours after the police announced the cash reward on the arrests, several BJP workers reached the office of Kanpur police commissioner on Wednesday evening and urged the police to lodge an FIR against Bhatia, Joint Commissioner of Police (law and order) Anand Prakash Tiwari said.

The BJP leaders and workers demanded a free and fair investigation into the matter. They even said they would offer court arrest along with ten thousand supporters if justice is not provided to Saumya Shukla, Tiwari said. The protestors were been assured that appropriate action would be taken according to the evidence, he added.

BJP Corporator Saumya Shukla posted a video on social media, wherein she claimed that the incident was deliberately being given a religious colour. She said in the video that she belonged to a Brahmin Hindu family and she along with her family ascribed to RSS philosophy as well.

Recalling the incident, Saumya Shukla said she was returning from an event with her husband Ankit Shukla and other family members, when an SUV overtook them "violently”. She claimed that Bhatia was driving his car under the influence of liquor and did not let them pass for 15-20 minutes. When their car overtook the SUV after getting some space, the SUV again overtook them and allegedly rammed into her vehicle. When the Shuklas objected to his act, Bhatia started passing lewd remarks and also hurled expletives at the couple. He also tried to pull her, resulting in injury in her hand, the corporator said.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central) Pramod Kumar had on Wednesday said, “We have named Ankit Shukla (36), Satendra Bajpai (43), Ankur Singh Rajawat (45), Yashasvi Shukla (27) and Suraj Tiwari in the FIR after they were seen in a CCTV footage.”

Several sections of the Indian Penal Code, including 147 (rioting), 148 (rioting, being armed with deadly weapons) 149 (unlawful assembly) 326 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapons or means) were added to the FIR which was initially lodged under section 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons) 354 (criminal force to woman intending to outrage her modesty) 504 (intentional insult) and 506 (criminal intimidation), the DCP had said.

Bhatia alleged that he along with his wife was on the way to their home when his SUV was rammed by the BJP corporator's vehicle near City Club on Sunday night. Following this, Ankit Shukla and his aides allegedly chased Bhatia's vehicle and stopped him. It led to a heated argument and Ankit Shukla and his men thrashed Amol badly due to which Bhatia lost vision in one eye and the infection spread in the second eye as well, the victim's family said. After getting first aid at the Lala Lajpat Rai (LLR) Hospital, Amol was taken to Delhi's Sir Ganga Ram Hospital where his condition is said to be critical, said an official.