A smile and an apology may help defuse a minor road collision in cities such as Mumbai or Bengaluru, even when you are not at fault. In Gurugram, however, they may not guarantee a safe passage.
Kumar sought help from two friends, who took him to the New Colony police station premises. The suspects, who were allegedly drunk, assaulted the trio even in the presence of officers. I tried to explain the situation with a smile, but he appeared unwilling to understand. He called his friends and tried to attack me, leading to a scuffle. Locals intervened and separated us. I filed a police complaint at the Gwal Pahadi police post, where the suspect was detained. His father and brother accompanied him, but his father remained adamant that his son was not at fault. I eventually chose to forgive them and leave. Police warned the man not to repeat such an incident before he and his family left. I returned to the office, but the incident stayed with me. Debashish is a principal correspondent with HT Gurugram who covers crime, court, corruption, traffic, transport, and DISCOMs.
The latest victim, Madan Kumar of Sector 7, was intercepted on Old Railway Road and allegedly assaulted by four Scorpio-borne suspects on September 24.
