Professor assaulted on Indore-Khargone road after refusing to give way to SUV

Indore: A senior professor of Devi Ahilya Vishwavidyalaya (DAVV) was allegedly assaulted early morning on Wednesday after he refused to give way to an SUV on Indore-Khargone road near Manpur.The incident took place near Bherughat under Manpur police station limits when Professor Laxman Shinde, head of School of Education Department at DAVV, was on his way from Khargone to Indore with his wife.ASP Rupesh Dwivedi said that a case of violence and verbal abuse was registered against the accused, and they were issued notices. The accused had written ‘press' on their vehicle and it was found that his father worked in a daily newspaper. The vehicle involved was seized by the officials.Shinde was in Jalgaon on Oct 27 to conduct a PhD viva and halted in Khargone for the night at his in-law's place before resuming his journey the next morning at around 6 am. As the family's car approached Bherughat, the driver of an SUV began honking repeatedly from behind. When Shinde later moved aside to allow the vehicle to pass, the other driver allegedly stopped in front of his car, blocked the way, and began hurling abuses. When the professor objected, two men stepped out of the vehicle and allegedly slapped him, also issuing threats before fleeing the spot.The professor immediately informed Dial 100 and reported the matter to Manpur police after reaching the station. Acting on the complaint, police located the accused and their vehicle at a nearby dhaba. The suspects initially argued with the sub-inspector and attempted to flee when asked to accompany officers to the station. They were later brought to Manpur police station for questioning.Police have registered a case against the unidentified assailants, while initial verification from the transport department revealed that the vehicle is registered in the name of one Rakesh Jaiswal. Investigations are underway to establish the identity and role of those involved in the assault.