Dimple Hayati vs Rahul Hegde: Is Hyderabad Traffic DCP at fault?

HYDERABAD: A petty parking issue between the tinsel town budding star Dimple Hayati and Traffic DCP Rahul Hegde has snowballed into a major controversy with the facts available on hand portraying the “highhanded, irresponsible and abuse of power” by the IPS officer.

A complaint filed by the driver of the Traffic DCP with the Jubilee Hills police station stated that the actress had rammed her car, a BMW into the vehicle of the police officer in a fit of rage and constantly troubled the officer by blocking the way.

However, the available evidence in the form of CCTV footage showed that the actress didn’t actually hit the officer’s  vehicle. One could even question the blatant misuse of power in using government property such as concrete blocks and plastic cones used in managing traffic to protect a vehicle parked on private property.

Based on the complaint, Dimple was summoned to the police station and was handed over a notice under section 41 of CrPC directing her to attend the court of law whenever she was served with a notice to do so. The section also allows a police officer to arrest her on a reasonable complaint or credible information. Inability to consent to the notice could be a ground for an arrest too.

Now a look at the sections under which she was booked shows that the sections were a bit of an overkill for an offense that every flat owner in an apartment complex faces now and then, but would never knock on the doors of the court.

Section IPC 353 deals with the offense of assault upon a public servant by causing hurt or grievous hurt to deter or obstruct him in the discharge of duties amounting to aggravated assault. IPC 341 deals with punishment for wrongful restraint and finally IPC 279 deals with the offence of rash driving or riding in a public way.

“The IPS officer is well aware of the law. He also knows that being a celebrity, Dimple will not be able to run around courts. So, he is just harassing her,” said David, an advocate of Hayati speaking to media outside her apartment complex on Tuesday.

Pointing out that the CCTV footage of the cellar that showed that the actress first hit the traffic cones placed as protection to the DCP’s vehicle while parking her car in reverse and then kicked the cones in frustration, he said that when his client tried to file a complaint against the officer the police refused to take it.

“These plastic cones were hit by commuters on the Hyderabad streets every day, why not take action on them? How many vehicles are speeding, and why is no action on them? How come government materials like the cement blocks and cones entered the apartment complex,” he questioned. He also wanted to know why the official lived on private property and not in government quarters.

The details of the case which was registered on May 14, 2023, at the Jubilee Hills PS were allegedly leaked by the police. Sources close to her said that a plainclothesman arrived at the actress’s flat and took them to the police station. After she was thoroughly warned at the station, it was the police that took the video of her coming out of the station, which was later leaked making it viral.

With Dimple’s lawyer making amply clear that she would take the case to its logical end at the Court, Rahul Hegde addressed the media and said that he had been harassed by the actress.

“Dimple Hayati, I live in the same apartment. She is parking her car across from mine in the cellar. I am having trouble when I go urgent. In this regard, I went and requested Dimple Hayati. My car was hit and kicked in the cellar. Our driver filed a complaint for vandalizing a government car. Dimple tweeted that I blocked the authority and covered up the mistake. The truth about Dimple’s allegations will come out in the investigation,” Rahul Hegde said.

He further argued that initially no cones or cement blocks were there in the cellar and the government official vehicle was used only for emergencies. “Once the government officials’ vehicle was blocked by the lady using her car in order to obstruct public duties, cones were put up so that the public duties are not obstructed. But it continued again and the car and the cones were damaged intentionally leading to obstructing public duties. Then the cement blocks were placed to avoid such damages and for speedy emergency movement,” he explained.

Did he misuse power?

With available CCTV footage and the excess use of power of the officer becoming evident and making circles in the media, the valid question would be, whether the officer has resorted to misuse of power.

The officer who has taken the issue too personally, found no friend among his peers. When NewsTAP contacted CV Anand, Commissioner of Police Hyderabad, for his reaction on the Dimple Vs Rahul Hegde issue, he said that he would refrain from commenting on a personal issue between two individuals.

“Whatever is the ongoing issue I understand the concern of my fans and media and I thank everyone for your cooperation and support. I haven’t given any official statements so far -hence I request you all to wait in patience. Till then the concerned legal team shall revert about the deal soon,” Dimple’s team said, in its first reaction, quoting her as saying.

Further, Dimple, in her audio released to the press on Tuesday evening, said that she was in no position to pick a fight with a senior police officer guarded by gunmen. “I will give all the details to the Court. I never troubled the DCP and he slapped false cases against me. He misused public property to guard his vehicle in a private apartment complex. I never hit his vehicle with mine,” she said wondering why there were no damage marks on either of the vehicle.

Earlier she tweeted twice within a gap of minutes questioning the misuse of power to hide mistakes, indirectly pointing fingers at the Traffic DCP for his highhandedness.