 "Initially, the incident was reported as an unprovoked assault on the IAF officer by a biker rider, who allegedly stopped their car and hurled abuse at Shiladitya Bose and his wife. However, a shocking CCTV footage from the incident contradicted the original narrative. Image courtesy: X")
A recent road rage incident in Bengaluru involving Indian Air Force officer Shiladitya Bose has taken a new twist. The officer has now been booked on charges of ‘attempt to murder’ and wrongfully claiming that he was attacked by the biker for not speaking Kannada.
Initially, the incident was reported as an unprovoked assault on the IAF officer by a biker rider, who allegedly stopped their car and hurled abuse at Bose and his wife. However, a shocking CCTV footage from the incident contradicted the original narrative and showed that both sides were actively involved in the scuffle, challenging the officer’s claim of a one-sided attack.
“He was hitting like he was mad, had lost complete control”, one of the witnesses told CNN-News18. “We tried to stop the fight, but the officer was out of control,” said another.
Here’s a breakdown of everything that has unfolded so far.
What happened?
On April 21, Wing Commander Shiladitya Bose and his wife, Squadron Leader Madhumita, were travelling in their car from the DRDO colony in th CV Raman Nagar to the airport.
According to Bose, the trouble began when a biker, Vikas, allegedly stopped their vehicle and began hurling verbal abuses in Kannada.
“When they saw the DRDO sticker on my car and said ‘You DRDO people’, and they abused my wife and I couldn’t bear it," the officer had said.
He recounted stepping out of the vehicle to confront the biker, who then allegedly attacked him. Bose claimed he was struck on the forehead with a key and that the biker later hurled a stone at their car, hitting him on the head again.
Since Bose had to leave urgently for Kolkata, he said he didn’t file a complaint immediately. He just detailed the incident in an Instagram video, in which he was visibly seen bloodied and injured. He recounted the entire incident and expressed disappointment that, instead of offering help, bystanders hurled abuse at the couple.
However, his wife, Madhumita, later approached the Baiyappanahalli Police Station and lodged a formal complaint.
Based on her statement, an FIR was registered, and the accused, Vikas, who worked as a team head at a software company’s call centre and was a resident of Babusapalya in Bengaluru, was arrested.
But during the investigation, police reviewed CCTV footage from the area, and what they found turned the case on its head.
What did the CCTV footage reveal?
In the CCTV footage that emerged, Wing Commander Bose is seen grappling with the biker, while several passersby try to step in and separate the two. One clip even shows Bose locking the man in a chokehold.
Another camera angle captures Bose dragging the scuffle onto the road and physically assaulting the man in the neon green jacket. A woman, in a blue t-shirt—presumably Bose’s wife is seen running back to confront the biker, pointing fingers and appearing to argue with him. He then returns to support her and continues to attack the biker.
Eyewitnesses who spoke to News18 described the officer as having lost control during the incident, saying he assaulted Vikas with considerable force. “He landed 15-20 blows, flung his phone with full force as the victim too attempted to record the incident,” said one witness.
Meanwhile, Vikas’s mother, Jyothi, shared her side of the story. She claimed the officer’s car had brushed against the silencer of her son’s bike.
As Bose’s wife reportedly said something in Hindi, Vikas stopped to ask what she had said. However, instead of addressing the woman, he asked the officer to clarify.
“This person, then, who should be a responsible person, pushed Vikas and his bike. As my son was getting up, the man hit him, brought up the Kannada angle, shared the video and filed a case against us," Jyothi told News18.
“It is clearly his (Wing Commander’s) fault. He bit my son’s hand, scratched his face, threw aside his vehicle and repeatedly kicked him. The CCTV footage is there for all to see, to check if we are right or wrong. How right is it for someone to come to our land, attack us and then place the blame on us?" she said.
FIR filed against the IAF officer
Following Vikas’s formal complaint, an FIR was registered against the IAF officer, according to a report by News18.
The FIR alleges that Bose was the one who initiated the assault, while Vikas merely acted in self-defence. The report states that after the initial confrontation, Bose continued to thrash the biker.
It further claims that Bose later twisted the narrative, falsely stating that he was attacked for not speaking Kannada. He also misrepresented himself as being affiliated with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
As per the charges, he even allegedly tried to influence senior military officials and mislead them in order to cover up the incident.
Bose is also accused of spreading false information about the assault on social media by sharing a video of the incident. The FIR claims he fled to Kolkata shortly after posting the video.
The IAF officer has been booked under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including Section 109 (attempt to murder), Section 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt), Section 304 (snatching), Section 324 (mischief), and Section 352 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace).
Karnataka’s Home Minister, G Parameshwara, confirmed that the IAF officer is currently absconding and that the investigation is ongoing.
With input from agencies