Exclusive: ‘Raveena ma’am locked me inside room and told me not to come out’

"The mob would have lynched me, but my employer saved me," Jay Kapse, actor Raveena Tandon's chauffeur, told mid-day on Monday. "I thank Raveena ma'am, who faced 12 to 15 of my attackers. She locked me in a room in her bungalow, telling me not to open the door until she told me to," he added.

Kapse, who has been chauffeuring the actress for the last eight years, said he never touches a drop of alcohol and doesn't have any bad habits.

Jay Kapse, Raveena Tandon's chauffeur

Recounting the incident, which took place outside the actor's bungalow on Saturday, Kapse said, "Around 9.30 pm, we returned from ma'am's mother's home to her residence, Neelaya, near Rizvi Law College in Bandra West. Raveena ma'am was in a good mood but not inebriated. When we reached the bungalow, I parked the car after signalling correctly. I had taken a right turn and later reversed my car for a U-turn."

He added, "Three women were walking on the road. One of them started abusing me. I wasn't speeding or driving recklessly, nor did the car touch them. This woman continued to abuse me and followed the car to the main gate. I decided to first drop Raveena ma'am inside the bungalow for her safety. I drove my car inside the bungalow, and these three women came to the gate and continued to abuse me. I requested them to stop using bad language, but none did. They immediately informed some locals, and around 12 to 15 people arrived outside the bungalow," Kapse said.

Screen grabs from the viral video showing Tandon being manhandled

"I was being respectful, referring to the woman as ma'am and an elderly woman as aunty, but they were not willing to listen," he added.

Real-life heroine

Kapse said, "The mob surrounded me from all sides. They were furious, as one of the young women was giving them false information. She claimed that I had brushed my car against them, injuring their heads and noses. I told the mob that they were lying. Meanwhile, Raveena ma'am arrived outside the gate and asked what had happened. I explained everything to her. The mob was not willing to listen; their aggression increased due to the false accusations. Raveena ma'am grabbed me, took me inside the bungalow and kept me in a room. She also told me not to open the door until she called out."

Raveena Tandon, actor. Pic/Instagram

"I stayed inside the room and locked it because I was scared they would kill me. A few minutes later, ma'am opened the door and took me to the police station. I explained everything to the police," he added.

"In the morning, I came across a video of the incident, and it was shocking to see what had happened to Raveena ma'am. She fought for and protected me. She saved my life. The mob was furious. They abused Raveena ma'am and made a video with false allegations to defame us. This clip went viral on social media. The person responsible for all this should be punished," Kapse said.

"I explained everything to the police, and the CCTV cameras captured the truth," he added.

8
No. of years Kapse has been employed by Raveena Tandon