BEST driver beats up, abducts automan

A 25-year-old auto rickshaw driver paid a heavy price for snubbing a BEST bus driver on Wednesday afternoon, following which he was abducted by an off-duty driver and his three accomplices who were on the bus, assaulted and abandoned in a semi-conscious state at Goregaon bus depot.

A 25-year-old auto rickshaw driver paid a heavy price for snubbing a BEST bus driver on Wednesday afternoon, following which he was abducted by an off-duty driver and his three accomplices who were on the bus, assaulted and abandoned in a semi-conscious state at Goregaon bus depot.

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According to the police, the auto driver, Kandivli (East) resident Dheeraj Singh, took a left turn from Goregaon Link road towards Goregaon railway station at 12.30pm, when he was confronted by an oncoming route 261 BEST bus, near Abhudaya Bank in Shashtri Nagar.

The bus driver asked Singh to move his vehicle, but Singh declined as there was no space. An agitated group of four persons, including another driver, Virendra Chouhan, who was sitting in the bus, then alighted and began hurling obscenities at Singh. The group began assaulting Singh, while the BEST bus left the spot.

“The accused were still beating Singh when another BEST bus going to Goregaon bus depot approached. They boarded it, and dragged Singh in as well,” said Arun Jadhav, senior inspector, Goregaon police station.

The police said that while in the bus, the accused continued to assault Singh and after getting off at the depot, they beat Singh up again and abandoned him there before fleeing.

A semi-conscious Singh then phoned his friend, who got him admitted at Cooper hospital. After the hospital authorities informed the police of the incident, the Goregaon police recorded Singh’s statement and registered a case against the accused.

“A case was registered against the quartet under IPC sections 365 for kidnapping, 325 for voluntarily causing hurt, 325 for voluntarily causing grievous hurt, 504 for intentional insult and 34 for common intent,” said Jadhav. Chouhan surrendered to the police on Wednesday night.

BEST public relations officer NA Walwalkar said, “We will initiate a departmental inquiry after police reports are submitted and the driver comes out on bail. Action will be taken based on the report.” Police said it was not clear if Chouhan’s accomplices are also BEST staffers.