It was a sleepy Saturday morning on Cenotaph Road in Chennai, with vehicles barely in any hurry on a weekend. As the traffic came to a red-halt at the signal below GK Moopanar flyover in Teynampet, a rage-fuelled nightmare unfolded, which this reporter was a witness to.
An Innova cab, that had debated for a split second on whether to turn left or stop at the signal, came to a halt even as the lights turned red. The last-minute decision, while dangerous, had not affected any vehicle on the road. However, in a sickening display of rage, a bullet bike rider, who was riding close behind the car, unleashed verbal and physical abuses on the driver.
The man, who has been identified as Dileep Kumar, 32, from Vellore district, was upset over having to make a quick decision not to run into the car. Even as vehicles waited at the signal for over a minute, Dileep Kumar got down from his bike and began abusing the cab driver. At first, he pretended to beat up the driver, going close to his face with a clenched fist. In response to this, the cab driver apologised profusely for his mistake and began to raise his window. This move to protect himself seems to have angered Dileep Kumar who began punching and slapping the driver. The driver was soon in tears, begging to be let go.
Shocking road rage in Chennai this morning below Moopanar flyover. Car stops at signal, hardly close to the biker. @dhanyarajendran @CCTPolice_Alert @chennaipolice_ pic.twitter.com/CMbNEspRMZ
— Manasa Rao (@manasarao) November 3, 2018
Dileep Kumar proceeded to punch and twist the driver’s arm, even as the man struggled to fight him off. Dileep Kumar then removed the car keys, forcing the driver to get down from the car. He hands the keys back to the driver, only to continue hurling abuses.
Soon after the incident took place, a video of which was sent to both the Chennai police as well as the Chennai traffic police, the bike was identified as belonging to one Karthik from Pallavaram area in Chennai. However, Karthik informed the police that his friend Dileep Kumar had borrowed his bike.
Speaking to TNM, an investigating officer from the Teynampet police station said, “He has been arrested and booked for public nuisance under Section 268 of the Indian Penal Code. He is being remanded to judicial custody.”