Bengaluru road rage: Deputy CM DK Shivakumar assures motorist that guilty will be punished

Karnataka's Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar assured support for a motorist involved in a road rage incident with an IAF officer.

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Wednesday assured the motorist who was involved in a road rage incident with an IAF officer that the state government stood with Kannadigas if they are in trouble and that it is committed to punishing the guilty.

Karnataka deputy CM DK Shivakumar.

An FIR was registered against a 40-year-old IAF officer on charges of attempt to murder, criminal intimidation and voluntarily causing hurt based on a counter-complaint by 26-year-old Vikas Kumar, a call centre employee, who was previously arrested on the officer's complaint in a road rage incident. Taking to social media platform "X", Shivakumar posted a video of him speaking to Kumar over the phone and reassured that the Karnataka government stands with Kannadigas if they are in trouble. "I have called and reassured Kumar, who was attacked in connection with the Nagavarapalya incident. The Karnataka government stands with Kannadigas if they are in trouble; we are also committed to punishing the guilty," he added.

Indian Air Force Wing Commander Shiladitya Bose made an allegation in a video he shared on the social media platform that he was attacked and verbally abused by a group of Kannada-speaking individuals who chased him on a bike in Bengaluru early Monday morning. Terming it a case of road rage, police arrested Kumar, who works as a team head at a software company's call centre. He was released on station bail on Tuesday.

Both parties have attacked each other, and some videos purportedly show the IAF officer roughing up Kumar, creating a scene for the onlookers. The officer was captured engaging in an argument with Kumar and beating him up in full public view, even as his wife tried to stop him. Kumar, who was released on station bail, in a video statement on Tuesday said, he will not let go of the case, as he also expressed concerns about him losing his job because of the incident.