Bombay HC Orders FIR in Pune Road Rage Assault Case, Raps Khadak Police for Inaction

Shukrawar Peth, 10th August 2025: The Bombay High Court has directed Pune City Police to register an FIR within 48 hours on the complaint of Shohaib Umarali Sayyed of Bhavani Peth, who alleged he and his brother were brutally assaulted and abused on religious grounds in a road rage incident earlier this year. The court also pulled up Khadak Police Station’s Station House Officer (SHO) for refusing to file the case despite repeated approaches by the complainant.

A division bench of Justices Ravindra V. Ghuge and Gautam A. Ankhad expressed shock at the conduct of SHO Shashikant Chavan, noting that he had entered a leave note ahead of the hearing and had “voluntarily chosen” not to appear in court to assist the Additional Public Prosecutor (APP). The court observed that even in open court, Chavan had refused to register an FIR at the petitioner’s behest.

According to the petitioner’s complaint dated 25 June 2025, the incident began over the blowing of a vehicle horn and escalated into a violent attack. Shohaib alleged that Harsh Keshwani and his relatives – Karan, Bharat, and Girish Keshwani – along with unidentified individuals, assaulted him and his brother, used religious slurs, and hurled obscene abuses targeting his sister and mother. Medical records from Sassoon Hospital documented five injuries, and photographs placed before the court showed torn clothes and visible injuries.

The bench noted that a video of the assault, reportedly recorded by a member of the accused group, was used to file FIR No. 0238 on April 27, 2025, against the petitioner himself, including a charge of attempt to murder. “Our judicial conscience is shocked,” the judges remarked, criticising the police for failing to act on the victim’s complaint while proceeding on the informant’s version.

The court has directed:

• Registration of the petitioner’s FIR within 48 hours, without waiting for the order to be uploaded.
• The Pune City Commissioner of Police to issue a show-cause notice to SHO Chavan and initiate disciplinary action if his explanation is found unjustifiable.
• Submission of a compliance report by 6 October 2025.

Adv Debajyoti Talukdar, who represented Sayyed, said that they have sought action under multiple provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, and also called for the suspension of officers accused of acting under political pressure and discriminating against the petitioner’s family on religious grounds.

The court partly allowed the petition, granting immediate relief on the FIR registration and directing departmental proceedings against the SHO.