Mumbai Court Acquits Driver in Islam Gymkhana Assault Case Over Flawed Police Probe

The Esplanade court in Mumbai has acquitted 23-year-old driver Dhruv Pandey in an assault case related to an incident at Mumbai's Islam Gymkhana, following a flawed police investigation that failed to prove CCTV evidence or confirm the identity of the attacker.

Pandey had been accused of assaulting a man named Sudesh Sadanand Tambe with a cement block at the Islam Gymkhana premises. During the proceedings, the court found that while the prosecution successfully established that Tambe sustained injuries, it did not prove beyond reasonable doubt that Pandey was the individual responsible for the assault.

The acquittal hinged on the failure of the police to present verified digital material. The court excluded the CCTV evidence after investigators failed to properly prove the footage and establish Pandey's identity in connection with the crime.

The ruling comes amid Maharashtra's ongoing push to strengthen the use of scientific, forensic, digital, and electronic evidence in criminal investigations. In November 2025, Chief Minister and Home Minister Devendra Fadnavis noted that the state's conviction rate had increased to 53 per cent, with projections to reach 90 per cent under updated criminal laws that formally recognise digital evidence and encourage forensic examination.