A Rapido bike taxi rider was caught on camera for allegedly slapping a woman passenger following an argument between them over rash driving, police said on Monday.
The incident occurred on June 13 when the woman, who works as a saleswoman at a jewellery shop in Jayanagar, was en route to her workplace, they said.
Owing to his alleged rash driving, she got off mid-ride and confronted him, leading to a heated argument between them. The woman reportedly also refused to pay the fare and return the helmet, police said.
When contacted, Rapido preferred not to comment on the matter, citing it as a police case.
A video of the incident that has gone viral on social media platforms showed the biker slapping the woman. The impact of the assault was such that she fell on the ground. Now, a new CCTV footage has surfaced in which the woman could be seen hitting the rider.
"We are looking into the allegations and a detailed investigation is underway. All videos and CCTV footages related to the incident are being looked into," a senior police officer said.
According to the police, when the matter came to light, both the woman and the rider were brought to Jayanagar police station.
The woman claimed that the rider was driving rashly and jumped signals. When she questioned him, an argument broke out between them and he slapped her, a senior police officer said.
Despite persuading the woman, she initially refused to give a complaint. However, police filed a Non-Cognizable Report (NCR) in the matter. Later, a notice was also sent to her to give a complaint, so that an FIR can be registered and further investigation can be carried out, he said.
Based on the complaint lodged by the woman, a case was registered against the accused bike taxi rider on Monday under sections 79 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman), 352 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace) and 115 (voluntarily causing hurt) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, said Lokesh B Jagalasar, Deputy Commissioner of Police (South).
"On 13th of this month at 10 am, there was an argument and altercation. It was followed by the slapping of a woman by a Rapido driver. On asking the woman to register an FIR that day at Jayanagar police station, she refused to do so. However, today she has come forward to register a case in this regard.
The facts of the case are such that on 13th morning, the woman had objected to the unsafe riding of the driver, following which an altercation had ensued. He slapped her. Regarding this, the investigation is underway and the accused is being questioned and legal action will be taken as per law," he said in a video statement.
After getting the FIR registered, the woman narrated Friday's incident and alleged that she felt the ride was "unsafe".
"He (driver) was not using Google map nor following the location. He was taking me through another route. Then I told him to stop at Jayanagar 3rd block. He was taking a wrong route. Near a signal he was supposed to take a U-turn, which he didn't. I felt it to be an unsafe ride. I got down and questioned him about his driving. I told him not to drive like that, it is unsafe because I am the customer, I have to go forward," she told reporters here.
She further alleged that the rider started asking her how she could behave like this? "He told me to get out of the country if I didn't know Kannada. I did not hit him nor do anything nonsense which might hurt him, but I held him by the shirt collar. He hit me and then I fell down. After that, in self-defence, I hit him," she added.
The woman claimed that she did not hit him with a lunch box as alleged by the rider.
"He was talking in a rude manner. I felt unsafe and I also spoke to a woman in customer care who apologised to me," she added.
According to police, the rider has not given a counter complaint yet in this regard.
In a video statement released by him, the rider narrated his side of the incident and claimed, "She was asking me to stop the bike. I told her to please wait for some time. I will stop it...I stopped 100 meters away from her office. She asked me what my educational qualification is. Don't you know how to drive? I told her that it was a shortcut, so I brought her through this route. She did not allow me to speak and was speaking in a harsh manner. I got angry and told her to go back to her country." According to him, when she asked him about the fare ride, he told her that it was Rs 77. She kept abusing him and threatened to lodge a police complaint.
"She attacked me. I told her that she did not have the right to beat me. She assaulted me with her tiffin box. So, finally, I too got angry. People there told me not to raise my hand on her, but they also said that whatever she was doing was wrong. It was she who attacked me first. Not once but twice. She tried to grab my collar and started raising her voice. I asked her to calm down," he added.
