The Karnataka High Court on Thursday stayed proceedings against former BJP Member of Parliament Ananthkumar Hegde's son, Ashutosh Hegde, who was allegedly involved in a road-rage incident near Nelamangala on the Bengaluru-Pune National Highway.

Justice Sunil Dutt Yadav held,

"Insofar as accused No.4 (Ashutosh Hegde), prima facie, there are no allegations regarding commission of offence. Accordingly, subject to further consideration, would be stay of proceedings. It is clarified that the interim order that is passed is for the present as regards accused number 4 only."

Representing Ashutosh Hegde, Advocate Pavan Chandra Shetty submitted that he was not named in the first information report (FIR) and was only travelling in his father's official car when the incident happened.

Shetty had earlier submitted that the case should be quashed as Ashutosh Hegde was finding it difficult to get a passport in order to study abroad.

The FIR registered at Dobbespet police station identified former MP Hegde as the prime suspect followed by his driver Mahesh, gunman Sridhar and others.

The complainant claimed that Hegde’s gunman and driver assaulted him near Hale Nijagal village, about 60 kilometers from Bengaluru.

The incident reportedly took place after the complainant's Toyota Innova overtook the former MP’s Mahindra XUV several times en route. When the vehicles stopped, Hegde’s driver and gunman allegedly got out of the car and attacked Khan, with Hegde was present at the scene and allegedly instigating the attack.

Khan later filed a formal police complaint, stating that he was beaten despite travelling with his family. He alleged that he lost two to three teeth in the assault and named Hegde among the accused.

Based on the complaint, the police booked Hegde and his aides under Sections 117 (voluntarily causing hurt), 126 (wrongful restraint), 351 (act with criminal intimidation) and 74 (assault or criminal force to a woman with the intent to outrage her modesty) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.