Victim suffered fractured rib and damaged eardrum after an argument at Dahisar station; fresh medical report led to FIR and arrests
The victim, Advocate Suraj Chauhan, wears a supporting belt around his torso
The Borivli Metropolitan Magistrate court has rejected the bail applications of the three accused arrested for allegedly assaulting a lawyer at Dahisar railway station.
The Borivli Advocate Bar Association stood firmly in support of the victim lawyer. Senior counsel Raju Desai, representing the victim, strongly opposed the bail plea and highlighted the seriousness of the case during the hearing. Taking cognisance of the arguments and the nature of the offence, the court denied bail to all three accused.
According to the police, on March 30, the 37-year-old lawyer, Suraj Chauhan, was allegedly assaulted at Dahisar railway station while on his way to Mira Road. The altercation reportedly began when he had a minor dispute with a fellow passenger who was alighting at Dahisar. Soon after, the man, along with his companions, allegedly attacked the lawyer and fled the scene.
The victim initially approached the Borivli government railway police (GRP) to lodge a complaint. Though a medical examination was conducted at Shatabdi Hospital, the GRP only registered a non-cognizable (NC) complaint and allowed the matter to rest.
Damaged rib and eardrum
After experiencing intense pain in his chest and ear, the victim sought treatment at a private hospital. The medical report revealed a fractured rib and a damaged eardrum. Following this, he revisited the police station with the new medical report.
Acting on fresh evidence, the police conducted another medical examination and subsequently registered an FIR on April 6 under relevant sections of the law. On April 8, the Borivli GRP arrested three accused from Dahisar, later identified as Akash Dhabade, 21, Bala Ingudti, 40, and Rohit Kotian, 32.
Victim speaks
Speaking to mid-day, the victim, Advocate Chauhan, said, "Till today, I haven’t been able to understand why those people beat me up — I had no argument or exchange with them that could have provoked such anger.”
“I was travelling from Bandra to Mira Road, when one of the accused asked me if I was getting down at Dahisar and whether I wasn’t headed to Mira Road. I told him that I would be getting down at Dahisar, and I did exactly that,” he added.
“As soon as the train stopped, I stepped off, and others also got off right behind me, including the accused. I started walking towards another compartment to board the train again when suddenly, one of them grabbed me from behind and began assaulting me. Soon, the rest of them joined in,” Chauhan said.
“They were targeting sensitive parts of my body, hitting me on my head, face, and stomach. One man, who had a bracelet on his wrist, struck me hard in the ribs, and I felt dizzy. I collapsed and sat down.
“No one came forward to help except an elderly lady who stepped in and scolded them, and later few people rushed to assist. As the attackers started to flee, I tried to record them on my mobile phone. But they saw me and once again attacked me," Chauhan said.
“Although I was attacked by eight to nine people, the police named only three individuals as accused.” A case under Section 118(2) and 3(5) of BNS was registered, and the accused were arrested on April 8.
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