Police officer assaulted in road rage case

In an apparent case of road rage, an Assistant Commissioner of Police posted with Delhi Police’s Special Cell was allegedly assaulted by three persons, including a woman, near Lodhi crematorium in south Delhi on Thursday afternoon.

The officer Amit Singh suffered serious injuries and was admitted to the AIIMS trauma centre where he was unfit for statement till late in the night. He is, however, said to be out of danger. Police said he was assaulted with a helmet and knuckledusters.

All the three were apprehended from the spot after a police team was rushed there. Sources said one of the assai­l­ants may have a criminal background and police stations concerned are being contacted to check the same. The accused are residents of Greater Kailash Part-2.

Singh was headed to the Special Cell office at Lodhi Colony in a government vehicle, a Toyota Innova, around 4:30 pm on Wednesday. The vehicle, bearing no police markings, was being driven by Singh’s official driver, said police.

Both were in plainclothes and the assailants were possibly unaware for long into the attack that the victims were policemen. The episode began with a small accident.

“A car being driven by a minor hit the Innova on its side near Lodhi crematorium upon which the ACP and his driver signalled that person to stop. Instead, the minor continued driving in a rash and negligent manner,” said a senior police officer.

He was finally intercepted and the ACP’s driver went to tell him to drive properly,” said a senior police officer.

But the boy started fighting with the driver and the police officer went to support his driver, around whom a crowd had gathered.

Meanwhile, a man and woman following the two vehicles close behind stopped and they allegedly attacked the officer with a helmet.

The boy wore knuckledusters and rained blows on the officer. “That caused severe injuries to the ACP’s head,” the officer told Deccan Herald.

Meanwhile, reinforcements were called in and the three persons were apprehended from the spot. Singh, who had fought back the assailants all through, was rushed to AIIMS while his driver was safe.

The officer Singh is a Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar Islands Police Service (DANIPS) officer and has been in the service for four years. He is posted with the anti-terror unit of Special Cell.