Ranchi was stunned on Tuesday when a High Court lawyer driving a Mercedes Benz turned a routine collision into a nightmarish chase. After knocking down a woman, Manoj Tandon allegedly hoisted a protesting youth onto his car’s hood and dragged him across multiple kilometers before police intervention.
The incident began at Dorunda’s Rajendra Chowk. The woman sustained injuries from the initial impact. A local young man stepped in, urging the driver to stop. Instead, Tandon reportedly rammed the vehicle towards him, trapping the victim on the bonnet as he fled the scene.
Home Guards on patrol tried in vain to block the runaway car. The lawyer proceeded to his house, where he is accused of beating the trapped man. Swift police action followed a tip-off, leading to a raid that freed the victim and nabbed Tandon.
Word spread fast, drawing angry mobs to the police station baying for the advocate’s punishment. Simultaneously, the matter hit the Jharkhand High Court, where the bar association pleaded for safeguards.
Presiding over the hearing, Chief Justice M.S. Sonak emphasized legal equality, refusing interim relief and ordering the state counsel to liaise with police for security. As probes deepen, this case underscores the perils of unchecked aggression on Indian roads, leaving the community demanding accountability from even the privileged.