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'Just another road rage, nothing to do with Kannada': Bengaluru Police dispute IAF officer’s claim
CCTV footage contradicts Indian Air Force officer's claim of language-based assault in Bengaluru. Police said they will collect more evidence.
An alleged assault involving Indian Air Force Wing Commander Shiladitya Bose in Bengaluru has taken a different turn, with fresh CCTV footage challenging the officer’s claim that he was targeted for not speaking Kannada. Police now say the incident, which occurred near the Tin Factory junction on Sunday morning, was simply another case of road rage in the city.
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Initial reports from Bose suggested that he was attacked by a biker after a verbal spat over language. However, surveillance videos paint a contrasting picture. In the footage, Bose is seen physically overpowering the biker, identified as Vikas Kumar—slamming him to the ground and repeatedly punching him during the altercation.
What police said?
Addressing the media, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Bengaluru East), Devraj, dismissed the language angle entirely. "There is no evidence suggesting the fight had anything to do with Kannada. It was a confrontation triggered when Bose’s wife, Madhumitha, who works with DRDO, objected to the biker taking a wrong route. The situation quickly escalated into a physical brawl,” he said.
DCP Devraj emphasized that preliminary investigations are ongoing and police are in the process of gathering more footage, including from dash cameras in the vicinity. "Contrary to Wing Commander Bose’s claim that no one intervened, the video clearly shows at least two or three individuals trying to stop the fight," he noted.
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Bose, in a video statement recorded after the incident, alleged that the biker drove recklessly and nearly rammed into their car. He claimed his wife tried to avoid confrontation but the biker blocked their path and instigated a clash. The IAF officer went on to question the response of the bystanders, suggesting that locals did nothing to stop the violence. “Is this how Karnataka treats those who serve the nation?” he asked, adding that only a few senior citizens tried to diffuse the situation.
The police, however, are standing firm on their assessment: the clash appears to be a routine road rage incident rather than a case of linguistic discrimination.
