Published 13:07 IST, December 22nd 2024
Bengaluru Cabbie Assaults Man for Refusing to Pay Extra Fare | VIDEO
The entire incident was captured on video by the complainant, Shubham, who was subjected to verbal abuse and physical assault by the cabbie.
Bengaluru: The Silicon Valley of India has once again found itself in the headlines due to another incident involving a cab driver. This time, a man was assaulted after rejecting the driver's demand for an extra fare. The entire incident was captured on video by the complainant, Shubham, who was subjected to verbal abuse and physical assault by the cabbie.
The incident occurred in the R.K. Layout area of Padmanabhanagara. Shubham had booked the ride for his aunt, and when she boarded the cab, the driver, identified as Kantharaj, demanded additional fare. When the customer refused to agree to his demands the driver became aggressive and started hurling abuses at them.
Complainant Speaks to Republic
Speaking to Republic Media Network, Shubham recounted the details: "I booked the cab for my aunt, and she boarded the vehicle after I provided the OTP. Soon after, the driver started shouting at her, saying she had to pay extra because the Ola app showed 31 kilometers, but Google Maps showed a longer distance. I told him that I would pay for the fare shown in the app. That’s when he rudely replied, ‘Who will pay for the extra kilometers? Your father?’"
Shubham continued, "I asked him why my father would pay, and that’s when things escalated. He started abusing me verbally. I asked him to cancel the ride if he was not willing to continue without the extra fare. Instead of doing that, he called over some other cab drivers and auto-rickshaw drivers to intimidate me. They even tried to force me to delete the video, but I managed to recover it from the deleted folder."
As the altercation continued, Shubham threatened to call the police. In response, the driver and his associates attempted to snatch his phone. After the video recording stopped, the driver climbed into the cab and attempted to physically assault Shubham by twisting his hand, but another auto driver intervened and stopped him.
Shubham shared further: "The driver was abusing so much that even his friends asked him to stop. Despite that, I apologized, as there were many people supporting him. But even after that, he came up to my door and banged on it twice."
When asked about whether such incidents were common, Shubham replied, "Yes, unfortunately, incidents like this happen all too often. In my case, the issue wasn't language. I was speaking in Kannada, yet it still escalated this way. It seems to be becoming a routine problem."
Similar cases of unruly behavior by cab drivers have surfaced recently in Bengaluru, sparking concerns about passenger safety.
Updated 13:35 IST, December 22nd 2024