Pune police have booked four individuals in connection with an incident on August 27, when a traffic jam was reported between Balewadi and Bhujbal Chowk on the Pune-Bengaluru highway. According to the Bavdhan police, the accused allegedly stopped and positioned vehicles on the highway without permission to shoot a video of newly purchased cars. The episode drew attention after a video of the incident circulated on social media.

Detentions and seizure

The Bavdhan police detained Somnath Ashok Kedari, a resident of Kusgaon in Maval, and Ajay Sambhaji Yadav in connection with the incident. The First Information Report (FIR) names Kedari, 32, as the owner of the new SUV. It also names the drivers of two Fortuner SUVs, who allegedly escorted the new car and blocked traffic from behind and around it. The fourth accused is Soham Chavan, owner of SC Photography, who was allegedly hired to shoot the video.

The two Fortuners allegedly used during filming, bearing registration numbers MH14-KH-5644 and MH14-LU-1080, have been seized by the Pimpri-Chinchwad police.

Police statement

Arvind Pawar, senior police inspector at Bavdhan police station, said the men allegedly stopped and positioned the vehicles on the highway without permission to shoot a video of the newly purchased cars. “Their actions obstructed the movement of other motorists and created a potentially dangerous situation on the busy highway,” Pawar said. Police said the vehicles were deliberately positioned in a manner that interfered with the flow of traffic, rather than the incident being a routine traffic violation.

Legal action

The Bavdhan police have registered an FIR under Sections 285 (danger or obstruction in a public way or line of navigation), 281 (rash driving on a public way), and 223 (disobedience of an order lawfully promulgated by a public servant) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with Section 3(5) of the BNS. Additionally, charges under Sections 184 (dangerous driving) and 122 (obstruction on a public way) of the Motor Vehicles Act have been invoked.