A violent incident unfolded at the Ghamroj toll plaza on the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway in Gurgaon on Tuesday morning when a group of men armed with sticks allegedly stormed the facility. The attackers brutally assaulted toll staff and vandalised the office following a dispute over toll charges.
Attack Details
The incident occurred around 9:15 am when a vehicle arrived at the toll plaza and its occupants refused to pay, claiming they were locals and thus exempt from payment. After an argument, toll staff allowed the vehicle to pass. However, the occupants returned shortly afterward with several associates in multiple vehicles.
CCTV footage captured the men stepping out of their vehicles carrying sticks and charging toward the toll booths. According to toll operators, the attackers first targeted security guard Om Prakash, 52, after he refused to remove a barricade. Prakash suffered fractures in both hands.
When another toll worker, Ajay, tried to intervene, the group chased him into the toll office and assaulted him there as well. A toll operator stated, “The goons were searching for whoever defended the guard. When they identified Ajay, they tried to attack him too. He locked himself inside the accounts room but they smashed the glass door, barged in and beat him severely.” The attackers even struck Ajay on the head with a tiffin box found inside the room, leaving him critically injured.
Allegations of Intimidation
Another worker alleged that local youths had been trying to assert dominance at the toll plaza and pressure staff for illegal concessions for some time. “They came in 5-7 vehicles with sticks. Whoever came in their way was beaten,” the official said. The men also allegedly vandalised the accounts room, damaged laptops, and hurled casteist slurs at employees during the assault.
Police Response
A police team from Bhondsi police station arrived at the scene and collected CCTV footage from the plaza. Police spokesperson ASI Sandeep Turan said no formal complaint had been received so far. “If any complaint is filed, necessary legal action will be taken against those found involved,” he stated.
