This combination of screenshots taken from two separate videos shows Wg Cdr Shiladitya Bose (L) and biker Vikas Kumar showing their injuries.
Bengaluru/New Delhi: A road-rage incident in Bengaluru on Monday involving an Indian Air Force officer, Wing Commander Shiladitya Bose, and a biker, Vikas Kumar, took a dramatic and widely debated turn, with conflicting claims and emerging CCTV footage revealing a complex altercation between the two parties.
Wg Cdr Bose and his wife, Squadron Leader Madhumita Dutta, who is also an IAF officer, were travelling from their DRDO quarters in CV Raman Nagar to Kempegowda International Airport early Monday morning at around 6.20am. According to Wg Cdr Bose’s initial claim, a biker on Old Madras Road nearly collided with their car, after which the biker verbally abused his wife in Kannada and physically assaulted him when he stopped the vehicle.
Wg Cdr Bose shared a video on social media showing himself bleeding from the forehead and nose, alleging that he was attacked and verbally abused in Kannada, which he described as a distressing experience linked to regional intolerance. He said, “This is what Karnataka has become. I believed in Kannada, but seeing the truth of main heartland Karnataka, I could not believe it. God help us.”
However, contrary to Wg Cdr Bose’s account, the biker, Vikas Kumar, a call-centre team head, filed a countercomplaint alleging that the IAF officer was the aggressor. In his FIR, Kumar accused Bose of pushing him and his bike to the ground, choking him, biting his hand, snatching and throwing away his mobile phone, and assaulting him repeatedly. Kumar’s mother also appeared in a video demanding justice for her son, highlighting the family’s distress over the incident and the subsequent arrest of Kumar.
Police Findings
The Bengaluru Police, after reviewing CCTV footage from multiple cameras and videos recorded by bystanders, confirmed that the incident was a case of road rage involving mutual physical assault. Bengaluru’s deputy commissioner of police (East), Devaraj D, clarified that there was no evidence to support Wg Cdr Bose’s claim of a language-based attack. Instead, the altercation was a typical road-rage incident with both parties engaging in violence.
Devraj further said a case and counter-case have been registered in the city’s Byappanahalli police station. “The police are investigating both cases. Based on CCTV footage and other methods, we will collect all the information and come to a conclusion,” he said.
New Videos Surface
Newly surfaced CCTV and mobile videos taken by bystanders have played a pivotal role in shaping the public understanding of the incident. Some footages show Wg Cdr Bose initiating the physical assault by locking the biker’s neck and wrestling him to the ground. His wife, Sqn Ldr Madhumita, is seen verbally abusing the biker during the confrontation.
Eyewitnesses described Wg Cdr Bose as losing control during the fight, landing 15–20 blows on Kumar and aggressively flinging his phone to prevent the incident from being recorded. The videos depict a scuffle that escalated quickly, with both men wrestling on the road while bystanders attempted to intervene.
One police officer, talking to reporters on the condition of anonymity, said, “Initial reports and social media posts portrayed the incident as a language-based altercation resulting in injury to the wing commander. However, newly released CCTV footage shows Bose as the aggressor, initiating the physical confrontation with the biker, Kumar.”
Chief Minister Weighs In
The Karnataka chief minister, Siddaramaiah, strongly condemned the conduct of Wg Cdr Bose in the Bengaluru road rage incident and addressed the wider implications for Kannada pride and the sentiments of Kannadigas. In a statement released on Tuesday, Siddaramaiah said that Wg Crd Bose, who assaulted Kannadiga Vikas Kumar, later made “baseless allegations about Karnataka and Kannadigas” on social media, which “hurt the self-respect” of the people of Karnataka.
He emphasized that Kannadigas are proud of their mother tongue and are not haters, asserting that the culture of Karnataka is one of respect and love for all who have settled in the state, regardless of their origin.
Siddaramaiah criticized the national media for “irresponsibly tarnishing” Karnataka’s dignity by amplifying unfounded allegations made by the IAF officer. He called it truly regrettable that such generalizations have hurt the sentiments of every Kannadiga. The chief minister appealed to the people of Karnataka not to take the law into their own hands and urged them to exercise restraint and trust the legal process.
He also stated that he had ordered the Bengaluru Police commissioner to take appropriate legal action against the culprits, whoever they may be, emphasizing that the state government is taking the case very seriously and is committed to delivering justice to the wronged party.
Siddaramaiah’s remarks came amid protests by pro-Kannada groups demanding action against Wg Cdr Bose and justice for Kumar.
Overall, Siddaramaiah’s comments sought to de-escalate tensions by rejecting any language-based hostility, reaffirming Kannada pride, and promising firm legal action while urging calm and faith in the investigation.
Current Case Status
Following the incident, cases have been registered against both parties. The police have booked Wg Cdr Bose under serious charges, including attempt to murder and provoking breach of peace, while Vikas Kumar has also been arrested. The police have emphasized that this is a straightforward road-rage case, dismissing any communal or linguistic angle initially suggested by the IAF officer.
The IAF has reportedly been coordinating with local authorities as investigations continue. No official statement has been released yet regarding disciplinary action against the officers involved, but the matter is under close scrutiny given the public attention it has attracted.
The investigation is ongoing, and further updates are awaited from the Bengaluru Police and the Indian Air Force.
