Former BJP MP Anantkumar Hegde and his aides were booked on Monday evening for allegedly assaulting a family on the Bengaluru-Pune highway. The altercation reportedly occurred following a road rage incident.
The FIR named Hegde as the primary accused. It also named his driver, Mahesh, gunman Sridhar and others, according to a report by The Times of India.
Hegde’s son was also present at the scene. However, the complaint filed by Saif Khan of Vasantapura doesn’t name him.
The police invoked several sections against them, including criminal intimidation and assault or criminal force to a woman with the intent to outrage her modesty. However, all the charges are bailable at the police station level.
What has happened?
According to the complaint, the trouble began when Khan attempted to overtake Hegde’s Mahindra XUV-700 near Hale Nijagal. Since Khan was travelling with women passengers in it, they screamed out of fear as the two vehicles came very close to each other. Shortly after, the former MP’s SUV overtook his vehicle and blocked the road. His aides stepped down and assaulted Khan and his co-passenger.
A video of an assault by the BJP MP has been going viral on social media. It was recorded by one of the women from inside the car.
What does the now-viral video show?
The video opens to show former MP’s aides forcefully removing Khan and his co-passenger from the car. As the men are being manhandled, women can be heard screaming in panic. Moments later, the camera pans to show the aides punching and slapping the two men multiple times.
Although the video ends here, the harassment continued. The women then got out of the car and started calling for help from commuters and bystanders.
Attack on Muslim Family 🚨 :
— ಗುಗ್ಗು | GuGGu (@GuGGu_07) June 24, 2025
Former Union minister & Uttara Kannada MP #AnantKumar Hegde once again proves that some leaders think a gunman is a license to act like a street thug. Unable to digest being overtaken near #NammaBengaluru, along with his personal goon squad, allegedly… pic.twitter.com/KRHBUaTvgf
Hegde’s driver Mahesh then allegedly attempted to flee the scene in the SUV. However, the women stood in front of the vehicle and both parties were summoned to the police station after the patrolling police informed their higher ups about the incident.
Saif has alleged that two of his teeth were broken due to the impact of the punches, and he had to visit a hospital first before filing the complaint.
The complaint also alleges that Hegde’s gunman threatened the family with his licensed firearm. When questioned, the gunman defended his actions, stating it was his “duty to safeguard the former MP” and that he “pulled out the gun as a precautionary measure”.