Five men attack fitness trainer, smash car in Bandra road rage

A 39-year-old fitness trainer and strategist was assaulted and his car windows were smashed in a violent road-rage incident near Sahil Hotel on SV Road in Bandra (West) around midnight on Saturday.

The victim, Arjun Garewal, a resident of Mahim, was driving back to his home alongside his wife, Bhakti, who serves as an HR director at a university. The couple was returning from Juhu, where they had dinner with Garewal’s parents, when their vehicle was targeted by a group of men in another car.

According to police officers, the confrontation began at approximately 11:45 p.m. on August 8. An XUV700 allegedly pulled in front of Garewal’s SUV and deliberately obstructed his path. Police stated that the individuals in the XUV700 initially overtook Garewal and continued driving at a slow pace directly in front of him, refusing to allow his vehicle to move ahead.

When Garewal eventually managed to drive past the slow-moving vehicle, the men became angry. Enraged that the victim had overtaken them, the group chased Garewal's vehicle, intercepted it, and launched an attack.

Police reported that five men in the SUV, allegedly armed with baseball and hockey sticks, intercepted the couple's car. The attackers assaulted Garewal and smashed the windows of his vehicle, leaving both Garewal and his wife traumatised by the ordeal.

Following the incident, the Bandra police registered a First Information Report (FIR) on Sunday. The case was filed under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) pertaining to charges of assault and criminal intimidation.

Police officers subsequently detained three individuals in connection with the road-rage assault. The detained men were identified as 25-year-old Anas K, who works at a private firm; 30-year-old Bilal Shaikh, the brother of a garment businessman; and a third accused named Rajen.

All three detained suspects were later released by the police after being served official notices regarding the case.