Bengaluru: Five persons, including three cab drivers, have been arrested in connection with the alleged assault of a family of four following a road rage incident on the Mysuru-Bengaluru Highway near Maddur.

The accused have been identified as Santosh Kumar of Pandavapura, Arun Kumar of Channarayapatna, D. Abhishek of Davangere, Venkate Gowda and Pratap of Bengaluru. Police said efforts are underway to trace two more suspects allegedly involved in the attack.

Minor collision escalates into violent assault

According to police, the complainant, M. Sagar Kumar, a resident of Attiguppe in Bengaluru, was returning with his family after attending a function in Mysuru on the night of July 4.

At around 9.22 pm, while merging onto the Mysuru-Bengaluru Highway from a service road near the Gananguru toll plaza, another car allegedly grazed his vehicle. Although the two parties initially exchanged words and continued their journey, the occupants of the other vehicle allegedly followed Sagar Kumar’s car.

Police said the accused intercepted the family’s vehicle near the Madduramma Temple flyover in Maddur, forcibly opened the doors and assaulted Sagar Kumar with a jack handle.

Women and child also targeted

When Sagar Kumar’s wife, Dhanyashri, mother-in-law Latha and grandmother Umavathi attempted to intervene, they were allegedly abused by the accused.

According to the complaint, one of the attackers also pinched the hand of a child travelling with the family, leaving them traumatised.

Sagar Kumar was treated at Maddur Government Hospital before lodging a complaint with the police.

Dashcam footage leads to arrests

Investigators used the vehicle registration numbers provided by the complainant, along with dashcam footage and other evidence, to trace the accused. Three suspects were initially arrested, while two others were apprehended later in Bengaluru.

The Maddur Town Police have registered a case under various provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including offences related to unlawful assembly, wrongful restraint, voluntarily causing hurt, criminal intimidation and property damage.

Police have seized the vehicle allegedly used in the offence and said further investigation is in progress.