Road rage: UP man held for assaulting constable in Himachal

The incident occurred on Wednesday afternoon when constable Rajesh Chinta, assigned to the Himachal Pradesh Police’s 6th Indian Reserve Battalion (IRBn), was heading out for lunch from the strong room located in Taruwala, within the Paonta subdivision of Sirmaur district

Police have arrested a UP man for allegedly assaulting an on-duty police constable in an incident of road rage in Himachal’s Paonta area, officials said on Friday.

Screengrab of the incident. (Sourced)

The accused, Farhan, a resident of Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh, works as a security contractor for a private company in Paonta area, said police.

The incident occurred on Wednesday afternoon when constable Rajesh Chinta, assigned to the Himachal Pradesh Police’s 6th Indian Reserve Battalion (IRBn), was heading out for lunch from the strong room located in Taruwala, within the Paonta subdivision of Sirmaur district.

A speeding driver attempted to overtake him improperly, cutting sharply in front of his scooter and narrowly avoiding an accident. When the constable signalled for the driver to stop, the driver became aggressive, entered into an argument and then allegedly assaulted him.

A video of the incident, which has since gone viral, purportedly shows the constable trying to leave while the assailant forcibly drags him back and they engage in a scuffle. The attacker also grabbed and pulled at the constable’s helmet, causing his scooter to fall on the ground during the altercation.

Earlier this week, additional cases were registered following assaults on HRTC drivers and conductors at the Parwanoo Bypass, and four people were arrested for attacking an HRTC driver in Shimla on May 24. On May 30, a tourist from Punjab fired at a local in broad daylight in a market area in Kasol, Kullu district. A special investigation team was set up to probe the incident.