Auto driver refuses fare, kicks senior citizen in the face in Mumbai

One of the passersby alerted the police and the driver was taken to the police station.

An autorickshaw driver assaulted a 65-year-old man and kicked him in the face after he refused fare on Wednesday in Andheri. The driver was arrested soon after.

The fight started after the auto driver refused fare. (HT PIC FOR REPRESENTATION)

Laxman Aavhad, 65, was waiting for an autorickshaw at Sakinaka junction around noon on Wednesday. Despite failing to get any auto for a long time, the resident of Marol, Maroshi Road in Andheri (East), kept trying. This time, a 40-year-old auto driver stopped but he also refused to ply. This led to an argument between Aavhad and the driver. The driver got agitated and kicked Aavhad in the face, injuring him.

With the help of people present at the spot who saw the altercation, Aavhad stopped the driver from fleeing. One of the passersby alerted the police and the driver was taken to the police station. “We arrested the driver on the same day he was handed over to us. He was produced before a metropolitan court that released him on bail,” said Avinash Dharmadikari, senior inspector at Sakinaka police station.

The accused driver was booked under sections of the Indian Penal Code for causing hurt and criminal intimidation and other relevant sections of the Motor Vehicles Act.