Taxi driver threatens to kill MLA after argument over toll on sea link

According to police, Karemore, an MLA from Tumsar constituency in Bhandara district, took an Ola cab from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport to MLA hostel in Colaba around 8 am on Wednesday. Karemore told the driver that since he was a public representative, he could cross the sea link without paying the toll, but the driver got aggressive and refused to take that route, a police officer said

A driver working with a cab aggregator was arrested on Wednesday for allegedly threatening MLA Raju Karemore of dire consequences after the two had an argument over the toll on the Bandra Worli Sea Link.

Taxi driver threatens to kill MLA after argument over toll on sea link

According to police, Karemore, an MLA from Tumsar constituency in Bhandara district, took an Ola cab from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport to MLA hostel in Colaba around 8 am on Wednesday. Karemore told the driver that since he was a public representative, he could cross the sea link without paying the toll, but the driver got aggressive and refused to take that route, a police officer said.

“He argued that even if I could pass the toll plaza for free, he would still have to pay the toll. I told him to go that way and I would bear any additional cost needed. I had to call the aggregator service provider after we could not reach an agreement. But despite being told to do as I said by the service provider, he was adamant about not going via the sea link,” Karemore said in his complaint.

The legislator said after the call with the service provider, the driver got even more aggressive and refused to take me anywhere. “When I insisted that he complete the trip, he threatened me that he would break my limbs and kill me if I didn’t get off his vehicle,” he said and added that the driver forced him to get off at Vakola junction.

Karemore then approached the Vakola police.

“We booked the driver whose identity was not known then under section 506 (2) (criminal intimidation) of Indian Penal Code. We tracked down the driver through his registration number. He was identified as Irfan Ali. We arrested him on Wednesday evening,” an officer from Vakola police station said.