Bengaluru, June 24 : Senior BJP leader and former Union Minister Anantkumar Hegde has been booked for allegedly assaulting a family, including an elderly woman, and using communal slurs in Karnataka, police said on Tuesday.

The Deputy Superintendent of Police has questioned Hegde.

According to police sources, Hegde responded by stating that the incident occurred after the complainant's car touched his vehicle while overtaking.

Hegde claimed that although he was present in the vehicle, he did not assault the complainant or his family.

The FIR has been registered against Hegde by the Dobbaspet police under Sections 117(2) (voluntarily causing grievous hurt), 126(2) (wrongful restraint), 74 (assault or criminal force against a woman), 351(3) (criminal intimidation), and 352(3)(5) (intentional insult with intent to provoke a breach of peace) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) Act.

The incident reportedly occurred on Monday night on the Bengaluru'Pune National Highway (NH-48) near Shuttaria College in Halenijagal, Sompura Hobli, Bengaluru district.

The FIR was filed based on a complaint by Saif Khan, a businessman from Halenahalli in Nelamangala town.

Hegde is named as the first accused in the FIR. His gunman is listed as the second accused, the vehicle driver as the third, and an unidentified individual as the fourth accused.

According to the FIR, Khan was travelling in a car with three members of his family, including his mother, on the way to a wedding.

Another vehicle overtook them, and one of the occupants later signalled Khan to stop, claiming to be from the department, the complainant said.

"When Khan stopped the vehicle, a man claiming to be a gunman allegedly punched him in the face and body. Another person allegedly dragged Salman Khan, who sat next to him, out of the car and hit him on the face, knocking out three of his teeth," it said.

"Then another person came out of the vehicle, and upon seeing us, said, 'They are Muslims', and began assaulting us. I recognised him as former MP Anantkumar Hegde. When he arrived, the other three surrounded our vehicle. When I asked why they were attacking my family, Anantkumar Hegde used abusive language and communal slurs, grabbed my mother by the neck, dragged her by her clothes, hit her with his hands, and she fell to the ground," the complainant said.

"The gunman then flashed a pistol and threatened to shoot us. Anantkumar Hegde also punched my father-in-law, breaking two of his teeth," the complainant said.

BJP MLA from Tumakuru Rural, Suresh Gowda, also rushed to the spot.

MLA Gowda said, "Hegde, who has served five terms as MP from Karwar Lok Sabha constituency, was travelling from Hubballi to Bengaluru. The complainant was driving rashly and negligently. Later, Hegde asked them to drive carefully. At that point, a confrontation took place, and they tried to attack him. The gunmen intervened to prevent this. I have spoken with the Muslim family involved."

"I told them that such incidents of road rage are common while travelling, and that politics should not be dragged into this. I urged them to resolve the issue through dialogue. But local leaders seem to be politicising the matter. The Congress government always indulges in appeasement politics. We suspected that they might arrest Anantkumar Hegde. A conspiracy is underway," MLA Gowda alleged.

Meanwhile, the complainant's family and relatives staged a protest over the delay in arresting Hegde.

/IANS