Man hit for Rs 2 change, dies

A 45-year-old person succumbed to injuries in hospital after being beaten up by an auto driver two days ago for a paltry Rs 2 change.

The auto driver had been arrested by the police for beating the victim and sent to judicial custody.

Earlier, the accused was booked for assault under relevant sections of the IPC; however police officials are now going to add charges of murder against the accused. Investigation was on till late evening of Saturday with the police calling in a few auto drivers in the area and a close aide of the accused for questioning.

The incident occurred around 9 pm on Thursday at Ganpat Patil Nagar in Dahisar.

A senior police official investigating the case said several private auto drivers ran share autos in the area for charges of Rs 12 per head. The deceased, Sarjuprasad Sahani, had boarded a similar auto and upon getting off at Ganpat Patil Nagar, was asked for Rs 12 by the auto driver.

However, Sahani did not have the change and so, he gave the driver a Rs 100 note.

The auto driver demanded a Rs 2 coin from Sahani but the latter did not have change, so he told the driver to deduct Rs 2 from the Rs 100 he had given him and return Rs 88.

This angered the auto driver no end and he alighted from his auto and beat up Sahani very badly.

Having witnessed the entire incident, a few locals rushed Sahani to the nearby Shatabdi Hospital and informed the police.

Following the complaint, the police arrested the auto driver for assault.

The accused has been identified as Rampravesh Chohan (26). He was produced in court on Friday and remanded to judicial custody.

Later, at around 8.30 pm on Friday, Sahani died in hospital due to internal injuries.

Thereafter, local BJP leader, Ram Yadav, approached the MHB police to add sections of murder against Chohan.