Indian police detain driver who hit female biker in viral video
The incident has sparked a broader discussion about the harassment and hostility faced by female motorcyclists.
Indian police detain driver who hit female biker in viral video
Police in India have detained a man after footage that appeared to show a car hitting a female motorcyclist in Gurugram, near India’s capital Delhi, triggered nationwide outrage.
The incident happened on Sunday while Shivani Chauhan was riding with a group of motorcyclists.
Video from a camera mounted on her bike appears to show a white car coming close and striking her motorcycle. Chauhan falls onto the road as her bike skids away, while the car keeps moving.
The clip, which Chauhan shared on Instagram, has gone viral and led police to launch an investigation. The driver, identified as Kalyan Bainsla, has denied deliberately hitting her.
On Tuesday, Gurugram police spokesperson Sandeep Kumar confirmed to the BBC that Bainsla, a gym owner from Palwal in Haryana state, had been detained. Police said he had borrowed the car from another man.
The case was first registered under sections of the law dealing with rash driving and acts endangering life or personal safety. Police later added "attempted murder" to the charges.
Bainsla said members of the biking group had repeatedly overtaken his car before slowing down in front of it. He said he lost control near a U-turn while trying to avoid Chauhan’s motorcycle.
He also said he did not initially realise Chauhan was a woman and insisted he had asked her and another rider to slow down.
Bainsla claimed he drove off because the motorcyclists were shouting abuses and he feared that he and his relatives would be attacked.
"Had I stopped right then, those people would have beaten us up," he told the channel.
Chauhan has disputed his version. In a video posted on Instagram after the crash, she said the car had started following her group soon after they began their ride.
She alleged that the people in the car became hostile and asked her to stop after she told the driver to keep a safe distance. Chauhan said she kept riding because she feared the car might block her, while a friend riding behind tried to shield her motorcycle.
She also alleged that the men in the car appeared to be intoxicated. Police have not said whether alcohol tests were carried out.
However, Bainsla’s lawyer, Naveen Bainsla, denied the allegation, telling the ANI news agency that his client had not been drinking and was travelling with relatives. He also rejected the description of the incident as a deliberate "hit-and-run case", saying it was a case of negligent driving.
After Bainsla publicly denied deliberately hitting her, Chauhan posted another video on Monday night challenging his account of events.
She said the footage showed which vehicle had been moving toward the other. She also rejected his claim that he had not realised she was a woman.
Chauhan also questioned why Bainsla had not stopped to check on her. "I could have been gravely hurt or broken my bones. I could've died on the spot," she said.
According to reports, Chauhan suffered minor injuries, but her protective gear is believed to have prevented more serious harm.
The footage has sparked widespread anger online and a wider debate about the harassment and hostility female bikers say they face on Indian roads.
Several women riders shared accounts of being followed, filmed without consent or challenged to race, especially when riding high-powered motorcycles.
"It's very common for people to joke about women's driving skills," she said.
Another motorcyclist, Pallavi Singh, said some women covered their hair and wore full protective clothing partly to avoid being identified and harassed while riding.