Palwal (Haryana): “Bainsla Kachori Wala,” “Bainsla Mishthan Bhandar” and “Bainsla Hardware Shop” — the surname appears on shopfronts along the road to Tikri Gurjar village in Haryana’s Palwal district. This is Ground Zero, the village of Gurugram hit-and-run driver Kalyan Bainsla who was arrested Tuesday. This is where his caste clan is dominant.
Kalyan’s house has remained locked since his arrest. Nobody is speaking about the Gurugram attack, there is a pall of silence – out of fear as well as solidarity. Women lower their veils as journalists pass, doors and windows shut when asked about the incident. In a village where everyone knows everyone, the sudden silence is hard to miss.
Yet, when they do speak, many are quick to describe the incident as an accident and a mistake.
“This case is a driving mistake. This is not the first road accident, but the media and social media have hyped it in a very negative way. It will not only destroy Kalyan’s future but will also be bad for the village”, said 60-years-old Jaspal Bainsla, Kalyan’s neighbour.
“Why would we talk to the media or anybody when they are showing a person from our village as a murderer or terrorist who committed a serious crime?” said Amarjeet, another neighbour of Kalyan. “Is this the first road accident? Has the investigation been completed? If not, then why has he [Kalyan] been portrayed as a criminal?”
An FIR was registered against Kalyan at Gurugram’s Sector 56 police station on Monday under Sections 125 (act endangering the life or personal safety of others) and 281 (rash driving) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). An attempt-to-murder charge was added on Tuesday.
Fitness and sports
What the villagers eagerly talk about, instead, is Kalyan Bainsla’s sports image. He was a passionate sportsman, they say with not-so-veiled respect. He has participated in several zonal- and state-level tournaments across Haryana and Punjab and pursued bodybuilding and fitness.
“We have watched Kalyan grow up in front of us. Fitness and sports have always been at the centre of his life. He would talk to everyone — children, youngsters and even the elderly — about the importance of staying fit and taking up sports. He has trained children from the village several times”, said Jaspal.
Kalyan’s social media profiles offered a glimpse into a life centred around fitness and the gym. He described himself as a gym owner and kabaddi player. His posts and videos frequently showed him working out, displaying his physique and sharing moments from his fitness routine. After the incident, however, Kalyan has deactivated his social media accounts.
Kalyan runs a gym in Palwal, which has purportedly been under renovation for more than two months, and was scheduled to reopen in the coming week. The gym, located in a basement, is a rented property and had been shut following a dispute over delayed rent payments.
“There was some issue with the landlord over the rent, but the gym was about to reopen on September 17 after the renovation was completed,” said Nandu, a friend of Kalyan.
Kalyan’s family images largely in farming and rearing cattle. He completed his schooling and graduation from Palwal. He travels across the Delhi-NCR region frequently and also worked as a realtor. He is married and has two sons.
“He was always busy with his work. He was also planning a new business and was putting his efforts into reopening the gym. But this incident and the way he has been portrayed will destroy his dreams and future,” Nandu said.
The village knows the case
Footage from the camera mounted on Sia’s motorcycle soon circulated widely on social media and made its way to the villagers’ smartphones as well.
“Why is the video showing only one side? Why isn’t the footage from the road camera being released?” asked 41-year-old Satyendra Bainsla, a friend of Kalyan. “The story will be different if the entire video comes out.”
In the villages around Palwal, Kalyan’s name is now familiar to almost everyone. Along the roadside, groups of men sit on charpoys and in open courtyards, smoking hookah and watching news reports about the case on their mobile phones at full volume.
Kalyan’s friends say he has regularly participated in kabaddi competitions organised by village panchayats, local clubs and organisers across Haryana and Punjab. They say he has won several such competitions, including gold medals.
“He hasn’t played internationally, but we have played in multiple competitions organised by kabaddi clubs and village panchayats, as well as events organised at different levels in Haryana,” said Satyendra Bainsla, who has played kabaddi with Kalyan.
(Edited by Aakriti Handa)