‘They were drunk, intentionally chased me’: Woman biker slams claims of driver who rammed her in Gurugram

ALSO READ | Driver who rammed woman biker in Gurugram detained for attempt to murder

What happened in the Gurugram hit & run case?

The incident occurred on September 13 and was captured on video when the woman and a few of her biker friends went out for a ‘Sunday ride’. Sia was riding her Aprilia RS 457 sports bike.

 

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A post shared by Sia (@rebelwheels_sia_)

The videos released by Sia and two of her rider friends showed Bainsla, driving a car bearing a Haryana number plate, tailing the group before allegedly cutting sharply into Sia’s lane and colliding with her bike. While Sia posted a point-of-view video from her bike, Abhishek  Sharma, another biker captured the entire incident from his helmet camera.

In both videos, Bainsla can be seen changing lanes at high speed and hitting Sia.

After the videos of the incident went viral, the Gurugram Police registered a suo motu case against Bainsla at Sector 56 police station. Bainsla was later arrested from Dausa, Rajasthan, and police are set to bring him to Gurugram.

The police have also added Section 109 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), pertaining to attempt to murder, to the case after analysing CCTV footage.

What is the allegation against Bainsla?

According to Sia and her friends, Bainsla had deliberately changed lanes and hit her as she refused to pull over when he asked her to. They alleged that Bainsla was repeatedly calling out to her and asking her to pull over. However, fearing for her safety, Sia kept riding and did not stop.

“The guy hit her intentionally… He asked her to stop but she didn’t for her safety, So he hit and run her so badly,” Sharma said.

Another biker who tried to stop Bainsla posted his POV video where he can be seen chasing the car and asking Bainsla to stop and pull over at a red light. However, Bainsla speeds away.

Sia has also alleged that the occupants of the car appeared to be intoxicated and had been aggressively pursuing her before the crash. In an interview to ANI, she said the car first zoomed past her at high speed before slowing down and moving closer to her. She said the occupants later pulled alongside her, rolled down the window and gestured for her to stop.

“They started inching the car closer to me and were gesturing for me to stop. I was terrified. It was obvious from their faces that they were drunk,” Sia said.

She further alleged that the car continued to chase her before swerving across lanes and hitting her.

What Kalyan Bainsla is saying in his defence? 

Bainsla, however, claims that the crash was completely unintentional. In an interview with TV channel Aaj Tak, he alleged that the bikers’ group were constantly slowing and speeding up in front of his car. They even “pinched” or cut him off when he tried to move ahead, he alleged.

“I didn’t even know it was a woman. There were 20-22 of them. Why are you showing just two persons in your video? Why not show everyone? Take the name of your friend that you are mentioning,” he said.

He further said: “I am sad for the girl [over the crash].”

What does the woman rider have to say?

Sia posted a video on her Instagram profile responding to comments made by Bainsla during his interview. Sia said it was clearly visible in the video she had posted who was “pinching” whom. She also questioned how her slowing down or speeding up affected him and said it did not give him any reason to chase her.

 

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A post shared by Sia (@rebelwheels_sia_)

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Later in the video, Sia addressed Bainsla’s claim that he could not identify that she was a woman. She said it was “not possible” that he could not identify her as she had long hair, which she had tied in a ponytail during the ride. She said Bainsla saw her and made a hand gesture asking her to stop.

Responding to Bainsla’s accusation that she had not posted “all the videos” and that there were 20-22 videos of the incident, Sia said, “For a hit-and-run case are the 2 videos not enough?” She also questioned his claim that he “felt bad” for her, saying, “Why didn’t you stop and check on me?” Sia added that a difference of just a few seconds could have resulted in serious injuries, possibly a fracture or even death.

She said: “If we were indeed pinching his car, why did he chase me the entire stretch?”

She further said: “It is shameful for such people who say ‘it is affecting my family’. I don’t think these kind of people think for second that they also have sister, who is a woman and they also feel unsafe on Delhi and Gurgaon roads.”

She added: “We can teach such people how to drive.”

Sia has also criticised the initial police response to the incident, saying she had posted the vehicle’s registration number and the name of its registered owner after the incident but Bainsla was still able to remain at large and give television interviews.

“I posted the video on Sunday night explicitly mentioning the vehicle number, the name of the registered owner, and even his father’s name. After the video went viral and aired on news channels, I received an Instagram message from Gurugram Police the following afternoon,” she told ANI.

On Tuesday, Sector 56 SHO Manoj Kumar visited Sia’s residence in Delhi’s Kalkaji to record her formal statement. The police said new sections had also been added to the FIR.

The Gurugram Police, in a statement, said that after a “thorough analysis of CCTV footage”, Section 109 of the BNS had been added to the case. The section carries a provision of up to 10 years of imprisonment, according to the police statement.

Bainsla has been arrested from Dausa, Rajasthan, and will be brought to Gurugram as the investigation continues.