Karnataka News

Who Started It? The Full Story Behind The IAF Officer-Biker Road Rage In Bengaluru

April 22, 2025
The Commune

In a case that has drawn widespread public attention and media scrutiny, a road rage incident in Bengaluru involving a serving Indian Air Force (IAF) officer and a call centre employee has taken multiple turns as new evidence and eyewitness accounts emerged. The altercation, which occurred in the early hours of 18 April 2025 near CV Raman Nagar, involved Wing Commander Shiladitya Bose and his wife Squadron Leader Madhumita Bose on one side, and a two-wheeler rider, Vikas Kumar, on the other. Both parties now face criminal charges under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

Initial Allegations And Arrest

According to the initial version shared by the IAF couple, they were en route from the DRDO quarters to catch an airport bus when a biker riding rashly allegedly forced their car to stop and launched an unprovoked attack. Wing Commander Bose, in a video later posted online, appeared with visible injuries to his face and claimed he had been hit with a key and a stone by a local resident who allegedly became aggressive upon seeing a DRDO sticker on their vehicle. The officer also claimed that the biker had verbally abused him and his wife in Kannada, framing the attack as targeted aggression against defence personnel and “outsiders.”

Following a complaint lodged by Squadron Leader Madhumita at the Byappanahalli police station, the Bengaluru police arrested the biker, Vikas Kumar, a call centre employee. At that time, no counter-complaint had been registered.

Emergence Of CCTV Footage

However, the narrative shifted significantly after CCTV footage from private establishments near the scene surfaced. Contrary to the initial portrayal of the incident as a one-sided attack, the footage revealed a violent altercation in which Wing Commander Bose appeared to be the aggressor. He was seen indulging in physical assault, pushing Kumar to the ground, punching him repeatedly, placing him in a chokehold, and even throwing his phone in an apparent attempt to destroy it.

Squadron Leader Madhumita was also captured verbally engaging with Kumar.

The footage also showed passersby attempting to break up the fight, with some witnesses later describing the assault as excessive and disproportionate. One eyewitness claimed on Times Now that Bose hit Kumar at least 30 times and expressed concern that the latter could have died from the beating.

Police Response And Booking Of Both Parties

Deputy Commissioner of Police (East), D Devaraj, confirmed that both parties had engaged in physical violence and labelled the incident a road rage case rather than a targeted attack against defence personnel or non-Kannadigas. He stated that the initial arrest had been made based on the FIR filed by the IAF officer’s wife, but further investigation—including the video evidence—necessitated filing charges against both individuals.

Wing Commander Bose has been booked under various sections of the BNS, including charges of voluntarily causing hurt, attempt to murder, intentional insult, and mischief. Vikas Kumar, too, faces charges of causing hurt and grievous hurt under separate provisions of the law.

Statements from Vikas Kumar’s Family and Supporters

Vikas Kumar’s mother, Jyoti, claimed that the confrontation started when the silencer of her son’s bike accidentally touched the officer’s car. She alleged that Madhumita became verbally abusive and that when her son questioned this, Bose stepped out of the vehicle and pushed the bike over. According to her, the situation escalated when Kumar attempted to retrieve his bike and was physically assaulted.

Initially reluctant to escalate the matter, the family decided to file a counter-complaint only after seeing the IAF officer’s version gain traction online. Jyoti questioned the morality of Bose’s actions, asking whether it was acceptable for a senior officer to respond with such violence.

Pro-Kannada activists have also weighed in, accusing Bose of wrongly portraying the incident as a linguistic and regional issue. They argue that the visuals clearly show the IAF officer attacking Kumar, and have announced legal support for the call centre employee.

Police Investigation Continues

The Bengaluru police are continuing their investigation, analysing multiple video clips and statements from eyewitnesses. The case remains complex, with both sides presenting divergent narratives. While the IAF couple maintains that they were attacked and verbally abused in a targeted manner, the available CCTV evidence and public testimonies suggest a mutual altercation that escalated beyond control.

Authorities have emphasised that this was not an incident of targeted hate based on regional identity, but a volatile case of road rage that could have been avoided by both parties.

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