Op Safed Sagar veteran ‘assaulted with iron rod’ in Gurgaon over parking dispute - The Indian Express

A retired Indian Air Force (IAF) Group Captain, who served during Operation Safed Sagar in the 1999 Kargil war, was allegedly assaulted with an iron rod following an altercation over vehicle parking in Gurgaon, police said on Monday. Officers said that the accused was arrested within seven hours of the registration of the FIR.

IAF veteran Amit Kumar Gupta sustained a head injury and a fracture to his left arm and is currently undergoing treatment at a private hospital, officers said. In his complaint filed on Sunday, Gupta said he and his family had gone to a restaurant in M3M Magnum Business Park, Sector 58, for dinner around 8 pm on September 10.

After dropping his family members near the entrance, he proceeded to park the vehicle but was allegedly turned away from multiple parking areas by the staff. The retired officer alleged that when he attempted to reverse his car, a parking attendant began punching and hitting the vehicle’s window.

When Gupta stepped out to object, the attendant allegedly produced an iron rod, struck him repeatedly on his head and left arm, and fled the scene.

The accused parking attendant was identified as Deepak Mavi, 24, a resident of Kot village in Faridabad, with the help of CCTV footage, officers said.

Rambir Singh, Station House Officer (SHO) of the Sector 65 police station, said preliminary inquiry confirmed an altercation broke out after Gupta was made to drive across various parking points on the premises. “Prime facie, CCTV footage shows how he was beaten with an iron rod. He has a fracture on his arm,” Assistant Commissioner of Police (Headquarters) Abhilaksh Joshi said.

Police said an FIR was registered at the Sector 65 police station.

Police spokesperson ASI Sandeep Kumar said, “A case was registered under relevant provisions of law. Gurgaon Police is examining CCTV footage related to the incident… During questioning, the accused said that he had an argument with the complainant over car parking. In a fit of anger, he picked up an iron pipe lying nearby and struck the complainant, hitting him on his arm. The accused is being questioned in detail regarding the sequence of events, and further investigation is in progress.”

Abhimanyu Hazarika is a Senior Correspondent with The Indian Express, based in Gurgaon. He covers southern Haryana. Education - Post-Graduate Diploma in Print Media, Asian College of Journalism (Class of 2020) - B.A. (Hons) Liberal Arts with a major in Political Science, Symbiosis School for Liberal Arts (Class of 2019) Professional Experience Before joining The Indian Express, he worked with Bar & Bench (legal journalism) and Frontline magazine, where he developed experience in court reporting, legal analysis, and long-form investigative features. Reporting Interests His work centres on civic accountability, environmental policy, urban infrastructure and culture, crime and law enforcement, and their intersections with politics and governance in and around Gurgaon. Recent Coverage (2025) - Crime: Reported on the recovery of 350 kg of explosives and an AK-47 from a rented house in Faridabad, linked to the 2025 Red Fort car explosion case (November 11, 2025). - Environmental policy: Covered protests outside a Haryana minister’s residence against a Supreme Court order that environmentalists argue could allow mining and real estate development on large parts of the Aravalli hills (December 21, 2025). - Pollution control measures: Co-authored coverage of the Rekha Gupta government’s enforcement of vehicle restrictions at Delhi-NCR borders (December 21, 2025). - Road safety and infrastructure: Examined response lapses in the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway hit-and-run case and ongoing investigations into high-speed road crimes in Gurugram. - Animal welfare policy: Reported on concerns regarding the low budget allocated for stray dog sterilization by the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (November 30, 2025). - Urban culture: Featured the social media-driven popularity of a new Magnolia Bakery outlet in Gurugram (December 15, 2025). Contact X (Twitter): @AB_Hazardous ... Read More