Thane: A 30-year-old tempo driver from Bhiwandi was arrested on Thursday for allegedly abusing and assaulting a traffic constable on the busy Thane-Bhiwandi road, sparking a wave of public outrage after the video of the altercation went viral on social media.
Details On The Assault Incident
The incident took place around 11:45 am on Wednesday near Purna village. According to the police, the traffic constable, Vijay Chavan, had signalled a tempo approaching from Thane to stop. However, the driver, identified as Paresh Yadav, refused to comply and continued driving. When Chavan signalled again, Yadav eventually pulled over, but instead of cooperating, he allegedly began to abuse the constable.
The confrontation escalated rapidly into a physical altercation. As per eyewitnesses and police reports, the driver stepped out of the vehicle, exchanged heated words with the constable and the two soon grabbed each other by the collar. The scuffle turned violent, with both men involved in a brief fight in the middle of the road.
Several bystanders captured the incident on their mobile phones. Within hours, videos of the fight were circulating widely on social media platforms, drawing widespread condemnation. Many users expressed concern over the increasing lack of respect for uniformed personnel and the risks they face while managing daily traffic and public order.
Tempo Driver Arrested After Assault
Following the incident, the police acted swiftly and arrested Yadav on Thursday. He has been booked under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including Section 132 (assault on a public servant), Section 121(1) (causing hurt to a public servant), Section 351(2) (criminal intimidation), and Section 352 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace). According to a Hindustan Times report, the accused was produced before a magistrate and was remanded to police custody until Saturday.
