Police in India have detained a man after footage appearing to show a car striking a female motorcyclist in the city of Gurugram near India’s capital Delhi sparked national outrage.
The incident took place on Sunday when Shivani Chauhan was riding with a group of motorcyclists.
A video recorded by a camera mounted on her bike appears to show a white car moving close and hitting her motorcycle. Chauhan falls on to the road as her motorcycle skids away, while the car continues moving.
The clip, shared by Chauhan on Instagram, has gone viral, prompting police to open an investigation. The driver, identified as Kalyan Bainsla, has denied hitting her deliberately.
On Tuesday, Gurugram police spokesperson Sandeep Kumar confirmed to the BBC that Bainsla, a gym owner from Palwal in Haryana state, had been detained. Police said he had borrowed the car from another man.
The case was initially registered under sections of the law which deal with rash driving and acts endangering life or personal safety. Police later added “attempted murder” to the charges.
In an interview with Aaj Tak news channel, external, Bainsla claimed that members of the biking group had repeatedly overtaken his car before slowing down in front of it. He said he lost control near a U-turn while trying to avoid Chauhan’s motorcycle.
Bainsla also said he did not initially realise that Chauhan was a woman and maintained that he had asked her and another rider to slow down.
He claimed he drove away because the motorcyclists were shouting abuses and he feared that he and his relatives would be attacked.
“Had I stopped right then, those people would have beaten us up,” he told the channel.
Chauhan has disputed his account. In a video posted on Instagram after the crash, she said the car had begun following her group shortly after they started their ride.
She alleged that its occupants became hostile and asked her to stop after she told the driver to keep a safe distance. Chauhan said she continued riding because she feared the car might block her, while a friend riding behind tried to shield her motorcycle.
She also alleged that the men in the car appeared to be intoxicated. The police have not said whether alcohol tests were conducted.
But Bainsla’s lawyer, Naveen Bainsla, denied the allegation, telling the ANI news agency that his client had not been drinking and was travelling with relatives. He also rejected the description of the incident as a deliberate “hit-and-run case”, arguing that it was a case of negligent driving.
After Bainsla publicly denied hitting her deliberately, Chauhan posted another video on Monday night challenging his version of events.
She said the footage showed which vehicle had been moving towards the other. She also rejected his claim that he had not realised she was a woman.
Chauhan also questioned why Bainsla had not stopped to check on her. “I could have been gravely hurt or broken my bones. I could’ve died on the spot,” she said.
Chauhan sustained minor injuries, according to reports, but her protective gear is believed to have prevented more serious harm.
The footage has prompted widespread anger online and a broader discussion about the harassment and hostility female bikers say they face on Indian roads.
Several women riders shared their experiences of being followed, filmed without consent or challenged to race, particularly when they were riding high-powered motorcycles.
Divya Sandhu, a riding coach who was involved in a similar collision a decade ago, told NDTV, external channel that attitudes had changed little since then.
“It’s very common for people to joke about women’s driving skills,” she said.
Another motorcyclist, Pallavi Singh, said some women concealed their hair and wore full protective clothing partly to avoid being identified and harassed while riding.
