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Victim Rebuts Driver's Claims

Breaking her silence over the road incident on Gurugram’s Golf Course Road, the victim, Sia, on Tuesday released a video statement strongly refuting the claims made by the accused driver, accusing him of putting on a "sympathy-seeking act" after deliberately chasing and knocking down her two-wheeler.

In a video posted on her Instagram account, Sia played an audio clip of a televised interview given by the accused driver, in which he claimed that she was repeatedly accelerating, slowing down, and "pinching" vehicles, while asserting that he was unaware a woman was riding the two-wheeler. Rebutting his claims, Sia questioned what justified the driver following her across the stretch. "In this (video of accused driver), he is claiming that I was repeatedly speeding up and slowing down the bike, and that I was 'pinching' them. I think my entire video clearly shows who was pinching whom. And even if you felt that I was speeding up and slowing down the bike, what right does that give you to chase me all the way?" she questioned.

Dismissing the driver’s claim that he could not identify her gender, Sia said, "And as he claims that he didn’t even know a girl was riding—that is completely impossible. Obviously, I have very long hair tied in a braid at the back. You saw that, you pulled up, you made gestures, and you told me to stop the bike."

'Clear-cut case of hit-and-run'

Highlighting the camera recordings of the collision, Sia asserted that the footage establishes a clear-cut case of hit-and-run. "And after that, you're claiming there were 20 to 30 people, and asking why only those two videos came out and not the rest. I don't understand—for your hit-and-run case, aren't two videos enough? One video clearly shows you coming straight from the first lane into the third lane, hitting me, and running away. And the front camera video shows you cutting from the first lane into the third lane, hitting me directly—I was dragged across your car and thrown onto the road. Aren't those two videos enough for you?" she remarked.

Calling out the driver's claims of remorse in media interviews, Sia questioned why he fled the spot immediately after the crash instead of offering assistance. "If you were feeling so much sorrow for me, why didn't you stop at that time? It was your responsibility that if you hit me, you should have stopped and checked if I was hurt. What if, with a difference of just two or three seconds, I had suffered far more critical injuries? My bones could have broken; I could have died on the spot. So, this 'sympathy-seeking' act he's putting on—I don't think it suits him at all. All the videos show how they sped away. They didn’t stop for even a single second to check whether the person they hit was alive or dead," she stated.

Concerns Over Women's Safety

Underlining concerns over women's safety across Delhi-NCR roads, Sia concluded her statement by urging the public to hold reckless drivers accountable. "I feel ashamed of such people who complain that 'their family is being dragged into this,' because I don’t think such people ever think about the fact that they also have sisters at home, they also have women in their family, and that women feel so unsafe on the roads of Gurgaon and Delhi because of people like them. So, just as all of you are supporting me, I hope we teach such people how to drive responsibly on the roads," she added.

Gurugram Police Take Suo Motu Cognisance

Gurugram Police had earlier taken suo motu cognisance of the Golf Course Road incident. The FIR was registered at Sector-56 Police Station in Gurugram, after the police's Social Media Monitoring Cell intercepted the video circulating on social media on September 14.

Gurugram Police earlier said that no written complaint has been received from the victim and, acting on the viral video, they initiated action. "On September 14, our Social Media Monitoring Cell intercepted a video showing a four-wheeler hitting a female two-wheeler rider from behind. This incident occurred on Golf Course Road; the Gurugram Police have contacted the woman involved and, taking suo motu cognisance, have registered an FIR at the Sector 56 Police Station in Gurugram," Gurugram Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Abhilaksh Joshi told ANI earlier.

"We are monitoring instances of rash or negligent driving and any such incidents occurring in Gurugram. Even without a formal complaint, we will take suo motu cognisance and initiate action in accordance with the law; our special cell, created specifically for this purpose, is also keeping a close watch. People should not get involved in such incidents, nor should they spread baseless rumours about them. Doing so is a legal offence, and action will be taken," he added. (ANI)