GURGAON: An HR executive with a private firm was allegedly assaulted with cricket and baseball bats in a road rage incident on Tuesday evening, shortly after his car was hit from behind near IMT Manesar.
Nitesh Bhatia, a resident of Sector 1, Manesar, had just left his office at Munjal Kiriu in Sector 4 around 6.30pm when his Maruti Baleno was rear-ended by an Alto without a number plate near Sarita Handa Exports. According to Bhatia, he had slowed down at a speed breaker when the Alto rammed into his vehicle.
He stopped a short distance ahead and stepped out to inspect the damage, discovering that his rear bumper had broken. The driver of the Alto initially apologised, leading Bhatia to believe the issue would be resolved amicably at the spot.
“The driver first said sorry. I thought we would settle it there itself. But suddenly, two other men stepped out of the car with bats and began abusing me,” Bhatia told TOI.
He alleged that one of the assailants was carrying a baseball bat while another had a cricket bat. “They kept hitting me even after I fell to the ground. I was shouting for help. It was terrifying. I had never seen them before,” he said.
The attackers reportedly fled only after auto-rickshaw drivers and passersby intervened.
Bhatia sustained a deep cut on his left ear that required four stitches, along with injuries to his arms and legs. He was admitted to Fortis Hospital in Sector 5, Manesar, and discharged on Thursday afternoon.
“I’m still in shock. Even thinking about it disturbs me. The way it unfolded makes me feel it was more than just a fight after an accident — as if it was planned,” he said.
Police said they received a medico-legal report from the hospital on Tuesday. An assistant sub-inspector and a constable visited the hospital, collected the report and recorded Bhatia’s statement.
An FIR has been registered against unidentified persons at Sector 7 IMT Manesar police station under sections 281 (rash driving), 125 (rash or negligent acts endangering life), 324(4) (mischief), 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt), and 351(3) (criminal intimidation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Police officials said efforts are underway to identify and trace the three accused. “We are examining CCTV footage and hope to make arrests soon,” an officer said.
