Pune road horror: How minor brush left Mumbai HR executive with a bloodied eye; traffic jam turned trap for couple

PUNE: What began as a minor road altercation on the Katraj–Dehu Road bypass turned into a brutal attack that left a 28-year-old Mumbai woman with a grievous eye injury and uncertain chances of regaining her vision. The Chembur resident, an HR professional, suffered severe damage to her left eye and had to undergo emergency surgery after three men on a two-wheeler allegedly chased the car she was travelling in, pelted it with stones and smashed its windows. The incident occurred near an underpass in Pune after the car reportedly ran over the foot of one of the men during an overtaking manoeuvre. According to police, the three men were detained and later released after being served notices as per procedure. As per the FIR, the woman, Puja Gupta, was seated in the passenger seat while her fiancé drove the car back to Mumbai on December 6, following a visit to his parents in Gaikwadnagar, Punawale. While overtaking a two-wheeler, the car’s tyre allegedly went over the foot of one of the riders. Though no one was injured, the incident sparked a heated argument. The men allegedly abused the couple, and one of them threw a stone at the car’s windscreen, shattering it. Fearing for their safety, the couple tried to flee but were forced to slow down after getting caught in a traffic jam near the Punawale underpass. The attackers reportedly caught up with them and smashed the remaining windows, including the rear windscreen. During the attack, a shard of broken glass pierced Gupta’s left eye, causing a serious injury. She was rushed to a private hospital in Chinchwad, where doctors performed an emergency corneoscleral repair surgery in an attempt to save her vision. More than a week after the operation, Gupta said her eyesight has not returned. “Doctors had initially said one surgery might be sufficient, but they also warned that another procedure could be required if my vision does not improve. They are unsure whether my eyesight will be fully restored because blood has accumulated inside the eye,” she told TOI. The FIR has been registered under sections 126(2) (wrongful restraint), 125 and 125(a) (rash or negligent acts endangering life or personal safety), 324(4) (mischief), and 352 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Gupta said she had urged the police to invoke the charge of attempted murder. “That was not done, and the accused were allowed to go home despite causing such serious injuries. They must be punished strictly so that they think twice before hurting anyone again,” she said.