In a devastating turn of events on BBC One's EastEnders, the life of teenager Davinder ‘Nugget’ Gulati (Juhaim Rasul Choudhury) is left hanging by a thread following a violent attack. In a cruel twist, the assailant is his own father, Ravi Gulati (Aaron Thiara), who mistook his son for his deceased father, Nish (Navin Chowdhry).
A Poisoned Plot for Revenge
The chain of events leading to the attack is complex and rooted in a bitter quest for vengeance. Ravi's life was thrown into chaos after he was spiked by Nicola Mitchell (Laura Doddington). Nicola was acting on behalf of her son, Harry (Elijah Holloway), who is determined to make Ravi pay for past crimes.
Ravi had previously upended Harry's life, forcing the mechanic to sell drugs and use his flat as a base. This led to Harry's friend Kojo Asare (Dayo Koleosho) being cuckooed, and Harry himself being chained to a wall by Ravi's enforcer, Okie (Aayan Ibikunle Shoderu). After a harrowing escape and a stint in rehab, Harry returned to Walford hellbent on justice, unaware Ravi is now a police informant.
A Hallucinogenic Nightmare Turns Real
Nicola and Harry's plan, dubbed 'Operation Make Ravi Pay', saw Ravi's drink spiked at Harry's Barn. The drugged gangster was then led to The Arches and locked inside. There, he suffered terrifying hallucinations of his dead father, Nish, who died last year. Fleeing the garage, Ravi stumbled into a nearby alleyway where the spectral figure became aggressive.
In a blind panic, Ravi fought back against the apparition. The tragic reality was that he was not attacking a ghost, but his own son. Nugget had been out searching for his dad after he failed to return home for a family dinner. Vinny Panesar (Shiv Jalota), who was also looking for Ravi, made the horrifying discovery of an unconscious Nugget and called an ambulance.
Aftermath and a Harrowing Realisation
At the hospital, Nugget's mother, Priya Nandra-Hart (Sophie Khan Levy), was devastated to learn her son had been placed in a coma. Ravi, meanwhile, collapsed in a remote area behind The Arches, out of sight.
In the episode airing on Monday, January 12, 2026, Ravi regains consciousness in the street with no memory of the night's events. Checking his phone for answers, he is met with worrying messages. The dreadful truth then dawns on him: he is responsible for his son's critical condition.
EastEnders airs Mondays to Thursdays at 7:30pm on BBC One and is available to stream from 6am on BBC iPlayer.
