On August 17, a shocking incident took place at the Bhuni Toll Plaza on the Meerut-Karnal Expressway, where toll plaza employees were caught on camera pinning a soldier named Kapil against a lamp post and mercilessly thrashing him with sticks. In an even more disturbing moment, one of the staff members was seen attacking him with a brick. The video of the assault quickly went viral, sparking outrage across the country. In response to this, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) decided to take strict action by terminating the contract of the toll collection agency and blacklisting it from taking part in any toll-related bids for the next year.
On the same day, Sunday, August 17, the visuals clearly captured the horrifying assault. The soldier was overpowered by several toll employees who not only beat him with sticks but also struck him with a brick at Bhuni Toll Plaza, located along the Meerut-Karnal stretch of National Highway-709A. The brutality displayed in the incident highlighted severe lapses in discipline and conduct by the toll staff.
The soldier, Kapil, who is currently stationed in Jammu and Kashmir, had been returning to his duty post after visiting his native village. He was travelling towards Delhi in the company of a friend when the incident occurred. As their vehicle approached the toll booth on the Karnal Highway, a minor disagreement regarding the traffic congestion and toll fee payments spiralled out of control, ultimately escalating into a violent assault against the soldier.
Following the circulation of the video and the nationwide uproar, the NHAI acted swiftly by imposing a heavy penalty of ₹20 lakh on the private operator managing the toll plaza. Alongside this, the highway authority initiated the termination of the agency’s operating contract, signalling zero tolerance for such misconduct.
The authority went a step further by ensuring that the agency involved in this incident would not be permitted to participate in any upcoming toll-related work or projects. This ban was introduced as a preventive measure to avoid any recurrence of such disgraceful behaviour in future operations.
Moreover, NHAI confirmed that the performance security deposit of the agency, amounting to a hefty ₹3.66 crore, would be encashed. These funds would be utilised to cover the costs associated with repairing or replacing the equipment and infrastructure at the Bhuni Toll Plaza that had suffered damage during the altercation.
The agency managing the toll, represented by Dharam Singh, had been served a show-cause notice by the NHAI soon after the incident. However, when the agency submitted its reply, the response was deemed unsatisfactory and failed to justify the actions or prevent the evident breach of contract terms.
According to the NHAI, the toll agency had blatantly violated the terms of its agreement by allowing violent physical clashes to take place on its premises, failing to protect public property, and disrupting the smooth functioning of toll operations, which are critical for highway management and user convenience.
In light of this incident, the NHAI issued strict directions to all toll collection operators across the country, mandating them to keep close supervision over their employees and to take immediate corrective measures against any staff member found misbehaving with road users, commuters, or even elected public representatives.
The authority also underscored that toll plaza staff must always interact with highway users politely and respectfully, reinforcing the principle that courteous behaviour is not optional but an essential part of their duty.
To further prevent similar cases, NHAI instructed toll management agencies to conduct regular training sessions for their employees. These sessions are expected to focus on improving professionalism, stress management, and maintaining a positive attitude towards commuters in every interaction.
As part of this ongoing effort, the NHAI even launched a special program titled “Enhancing Customer Interaction and Communication Skills at Toll Plazas”. The objective of this initiative is to instil a culture of discipline, customer care, and professional behaviour among toll staff, ensuring that such incidents do not tarnish the image of highway services in the future.
Interestingly, in the days following the incident, another video from a toll plaza surfaced online. This video showed a completely different attitude by toll booth employees, who were seen saluting Army personnel and their vehicles as they passed through. In some cases, the staff even handed water bottles to soldiers as a gesture of respect and goodwill, perhaps indicating an attempt to rebuild public trust and undo the damage caused by the brutal assault on August 17.
