The Ola auto driver, who was recently arrested for slapping and abusing a woman in Bengaluru, has more trouble coming his way. While the auto driver slapped and abused the woman for the loss of fuel due to the cancelled trip, he now will have to pay a much bigger price for his actions.
The auto driver named R Muthuraj will now have to spend at least four days in jail, and pay a legal fee of around Rs 30,000 to get bail, according to Economic Times.
Sections 74 and 352 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) were imposed on Muthuraj. “The cost of the fuel for the canceled trip would have been no more than Rs 20-30, but now he’s facing a significant financial burden,” an investigating officer told ET.
Moreover, his driving license and permit may also be suspended as the transport department has also taken note of the incident, the report said.
The incident was recorded by the woman on her phone. The video showing the auto driver slapping and abusing the woman went viral on social media, triggering widespread criticism.
The video of the incident was also shared by the woman on social media. "Yesterday in Bangalore (Bengaluru), my friend & I booked two autos on Ola due to peak hours. I arrived first, so she cancelled hers. The other auto driver followed us, furious. Despite explaining the situation, he started shouting and hurling abuse,", the woman said.
"The driver went on to verbally assault us, questioning whether the auto belonged to my father and making derogatory comments. I began recording, which enraged him further. When I mentioned reporting him, he challenged me, showing no fear of consequences," she added. She said things escalated when he tried to snatch her phone.
"I resisted, and he slapped me in front of my auto driver, who did nothing, and bystanders who remained passive. Despite this, he continued his threats, saying he’d beat me with his slippers too," she further added.
Responding to her post, ADGP Kumar stated: "Such behaviour is unacceptable. (A) few people like him give (the) auto drivers community a bad name. Have informed the concerned to take appropriate action." Later, 'Ola Support' responded to her posts and said: "This sounds quite alarming.. Don't worry, we are here to help you with this."
(With PTI inputs)