Operation Safed Sagar Veteran Attacked Over Parking Dispute in Gurugram
GURUGRAM: Retired Indian Air Force Group Captain Amit Kumar Gupta, a veteran of the 1999 Kargil War, was allegedly attacked with an iron rod by a parking attendant at Magnum Global Park in Gurugram after a parking dispute, according to his complaint and police statements.
The incident took place at around 8 p.m. on September 10 in the Sector 65 police station area, where Gupta had gone with his family for dinner at a restaurant. Police have since registered an FIR against an unidentified parking attendant and launched an investigation to establish the suspect’s identity.
Gupta was part of the Indian Air Force’s Operation Safed Sagar, the air campaign conducted during the Kargil conflict in 1999. He is currently receiving treatment for injuries sustained in the alleged assault.
Dispute began over parking
According to Gupta’s complaint, he dropped his family near the restaurant before going to find a place to park his vehicle.
He alleged that parking staff directed him between different areas of the complex, including the valet section, basement, and multi-level parking area, but that he was ultimately not allowed to park.
The situation escalated when Gupta attempted to reverse his car, according to his account. He alleged that a parking attendant attacked the vehicle with an iron rod, apparently trying to damage the windshield.
Gupta said he got out of the car to object. The attendant then allegedly struck him with the rod, hitting his arm and head.
“I was drenched in blood,” Gupta told NDTV while describing the incident.
India Today also reported that Gupta alleged the assault left him with a head injury and a fractured elbow.
Veteran taken to hospital
Gupta was taken by ambulance to Medanta Hospital following the incident. He subsequently underwent surgery for his elbow injury, with plates used to repair the fractured bone, according to reports.
He has also alleged that the parking attendant threatened to kill him following the assault.
Gupta further alleged that security personnel and other parking staff at the site did not intervene. He told NDTV that he called the police helpline, but that help did not arrive for roughly half an hour. He said a chef eventually intervened. These details remain allegations made by Gupta and have not been independently established in the available reports.
Police register FIR
Gurugram police have confirmed that an investigation is underway.
Sector 65 police station SHO Rambir Singh told Hindustan Times that Gupta had been taken to different parking locations within the complex and that an argument followed after he was not allowed to park.
Police said Gupta initially indicated that he would give his statement after recovering. He later submitted a written complaint, following which an FIR was registered on Monday morning against the unidentified parking attendant under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Investigators are working to identify and arrest the suspect, according to the SHO.
Rediff, citing the police, also reported that officers had visited Gupta at the hospital to record his statement and that a case was being registered.
Allegations over medical report
Gupta has also raised concerns about the medico-legal case report prepared by the hospital.
He alleged that the report did not properly record the bleeding from his head or the extent of his elbow injury. He further alleged that he was not receiving adequate support from police.
These are allegations made by Gupta. The reports reviewed by REPORTIVA did not contain an independent response from Medanta Hospital addressing the allegation of an inaccurate or falsified MLC, and the claim should therefore not be treated as fact.
What happens next
The immediate focus of the police investigation is identifying the parking attendant accused of the assault and determining the circumstances that led to the confrontation.
Police have confirmed the registration of an FIR and said the investigation is continuing. The available reports do not establish whether the accused has been arrested as of the latest updates reviewed for this report.
The case also involves competing accounts that will need to be examined through witness statements, CCTV footage, medical records and other evidence gathered during the investigation.
Operation Safed Sagar was the Indian Air Force’s air campaign during the 1999 Kargil conflict. The IAF says the operation involved thousands of strike, reconnaissance, and escort missions in support of India’s military effort in the Kargil sector.
The Gurugram assault investigation remains ongoing.
