An auto-rickshaw driver allegedly assaulted a 32-year-old man in Saki Naka after the latter insisted on hiring his auto rickshaw.
An auto-rickshaw driver allegedly assaulted a 32-year-old man in Saki Naka after the latter insisted on hiring his auto rickshaw.
The driver was not willing to ply his rickshaw to the destination the commuter wanted to reach, after which Vishal Borade, the commuter, informed a traffic policeman about the same. The auto driver agreed to ply his vehicle after the policeman warned him. However, after driving Borade for about a kilometre, he allegedly pulled him out of the vehicle and assaulted him.
The police authorities have assured action against the culprit after Borade registered a complaint on the Mumbai police’s Twitter handle.
The incident took place on September 19, when Saki Naka resident Mr Borade, who works for a television channel, was heading back home at around 6.30 pm. He asked an autodriver to take him to Kajupada — about a kilometre away — but the driver refused, as he wanted to ply the auto to places located further away. But the driver agreed to ply his vehicle after a traffic policeman nearby warned him.
Mr Borade said, “I sat down in the rickshaw and instructed him to take me to 90-feet police station which was nearby He was continuously shouting in the rickshaw and I was telling him that it’s his job and he is not doing me any favours. After a kilometre (of driving) he stopped his rickshaw, pulled me out by the hand and beat me up. When other passers-by interrupted, he fled. I took his rickshaw’s number and went to 90-feet police station, but it was closed at that time.”
Mr Borade then took to Twitter to complain about the incident and also gave the autorickshaw number (MH02 EF 6382).
Mumbai police Twitter team in charge Ashwini Koli said, “We have received his complaint on Twitter now we have already sent his complaint number to the Saki Naka police station. Soon they will take action against the culprit who assaulted the commuter.”
Shashank Rao of Mumbai Auto Rickshaw-Taximen’s Union said, “What happened was totally unfair to the commuter. No rickshaw driver has either the right to refuse the commuter or to beat him up. We will support the investigation and if the police needs any help we are there (to help).
Also we will concentrate on the area where this incident happened and try to resolve the commuters’ problems.”
