- Man who drove Thar SUV assaulted toll staff in Karnataka over fee payment demand
- Assault occurred after staff questioned the man's claim about his father being a politician
- Injured toll employee was hospitalised after the assault
A BJP leader's son allegedly assaulted toll booth staff in Karnataka for asking him to pay the fee. The attack was captured on CCTV.
Samarthgouda Patil, son of BJP leader and MLA candidate Vijugouda Patil, was travelling in a black Thar SUV from Vijayapura towards Sindagi when the incident took place.
When the toll booth staff asked for the fee, Samarthgouda reportedly identified himself as "Vijugouda Patil's son."
The staff then asked which Vijugouda he was referring to. This allegedly angered Samarthgouda. He and his friends then assaulted the toll gate employee, identified as Sangappa.
Other staff members at the toll booth intervened and stopped the assault. The injured employee was admitted to a local hospital for treatment.
The entire incident has been captured in the CCTV installed inside the toll plaza. The police are yet to get an official complaint in this matter and have said action will be taken once the complaint is given in the matter.
Defending his son, Vijugouda Patil said, "He (his son) told them this is Vijugouda's car and he is my son. The toll staff asked him who was Vijugouda. My son then asked if they couldn't recognise someone who comes there regularly. The man then spoke rudely and said, 'Whoever it is, you must pay the toll fee'."
"My son got irritated. It's only natural for a son to get angry when someone speaks ill of his father. But instead of resolving the issue calmly, the staff told him to pay the toll and spoke in a loud manner. So my son got down, and the people with him questioned the tone of the staff. What's wrong in what he did? The toll staff were the ones who were in the wrong," he said.
Vijayakumar (Vijayagouda) Patil has been contesting from Baleshwar constituency since 2008; however, he hasn't been able to win the seat. This seat is currently held by MB Patil, who serves as Industries Minister in Karnataka.
