Gym owner nabbed in Gurugram hit-and-run case; stalking, attempt to murder charges added to FIR

Gurugram/Jaipur, Sep 15 (PTI) A 33-year-old gym owner accused of ramming his speeding car into a woman biker, knocking her off and sending her skidding down a road, was arrested on Tuesday on charges of attempt to murder and stalking following a two-day search, police said

Kalyan Bainsla and a cousin, who were together on Sunday when the collision took place on Gurugram's Golf Course Road, were nabbed from Rajgarh in Rajasthan, a short distance from Gurugram.

The police said Bainsla passed indecent comments against 27-year-old biker Shivani Chauhan, who shared a video of the dramatic hit-and-run, which raised concerns over rash driving, harassment and the vulnerability of women and two-wheeler riders.

After his arrest, he also tried to escape custody on the pretext of urinating, fell, and got hurt, they said. He was given first aid at a hospital.

Bainsla has been accused of grazing Chauhan, who was riding an Aprilia RS 457, at speed in his Maruti Suzuki Ciaz, coming from behind.

The police have impounded the car, registered in the name of an acquaintance, and detained Bainsla's cousin, Lovneesh, who was with him in the car at the time of the incident.

Addressing the media here, Gurugram DCP (East) Sandeep Kumar said the victim claimed that Bainsla hurled a slur at her before the incident and tried to kill her.

"It can be clearly seen that he deliberately hit (the biker) from the side after an argument … the intent was to kill the victim. The victim has also told the police that the intention was to kill her," he said.

Gurugram Police Commissioner Sibash Kabiraj said he was booked under an attempt-to-murder charge after a scrutiny of Instagram videos and CCTV footage.

Earlier, after giving an interview to the media, Bainsla switched off his mobile phone and absconded. Three teams constituted to track him nabbed him in Rajasthan.

According to the police, on September 14, a female biker shared a video on Instagram showing that she had been struck by a car on Golf Course Road the previous morning.

The Gurugram Police tried to contact the victim, but as there was no formal complaint, it filed a suo motu case at the Sector-56 Police Station, the officer said.

Following Bainsla's arrest, the biker, who identifies herself as 'Siya' on Instagram, joined the police investigation.

On her complaint, the police added Section 109 (attempt to murder), Section 78 (physical and digital stalking), and Section 79 (acts against modesty of a woman) of the BNS to the FIR, the DCP said.

"The victim said in her complaint that the accused was stalking her and also made obscene comments. She claims that he intentionally hit her bike. We have … arrested him from Dausa in Rajasthan. We will take him on police remand after he is produced in a city court, while the role of his friend is being verified," Kumar said.

Chauhan will also be produced before the court soon for her statement under Section 183 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, he added.

Advocate Naveen Bainsla, the counsel of the car driver, said his client fled the collision site because he feared being beaten by the mob, and accused the biker group of speeding and provocation.

"There were around 25 to 30 bike riders at the scene. They were riding at 120 to 160 kilometres per hour. The videos shared by Siya and another rider are edited and planted," the counsel said.

Bainsla, who has claimed he was travelling with his two cousins and a sister, said it was merely an accident, with no deliberate intent.

In another video she released on Tuesday, Chauhan wondered if so, why he did not stop at the scene after she was hit and thrown to the ground.

She also alleged that she was targeted because she is a woman and she could have died but was saved by protective gear she was wearing.

"I feel ashamed of such people. Women feel unsafe on the roads of Delhi and Gurugram," Chauhan said.

She said the two videos that have surfaced regarding the hit-and-run case constitute sufficient evidence.

A video, captured by Instagram user 'youknowabhishek', shows the car driver first signalling Chauhan to stop, and when she does not, grazing her bike at speed from behind.

Earlier, Chauhan claimed that there were several men in the car, all apparently drunk.

"The car driver chased me. First, I did not notice the vehicle, but it passed by me at speed. The car occupants gestured to me and tried to stop me," she told reporters.

"The car hit me. I fell and lost consciousness. When a fellow rider tried to stop the driver and told him to stop because it was his fault, he said, 'No, no, no, it was not my fault'," she said.

Chauhan, a Delhi resident, has done a course in fashion designing and also contested the 2022 municipal election from Kalkaji. Her father Roshan Chauhan is a member of the Aam Aadmi Party.

Meanwhile, Dausa Sadar SHO Yudhishthir said Bainsla was allegedly driven away from the spot by Lovneesh, while another friend, Pramod, helped him flee from Tikri Gurjar village in Palwal.

The Gurugram Police has apprehended Pramod too, the SHO said.

Bainsla, a resident of Chandhat in Palwal district, also works as a realtor and claims to be an international kabaddi player. He has two children.