In another untoward incident, an Uber driver has been accused of assaulting a passenger. A 23-year-old software engineer in Bengaluru has filed a complaint against an Uber driver for assaulting him after an argument over fare. According to the victim, the incident took place on Thursday after he questioned the driver for demanding more fare than what he had booked the cab for in advance. The victim was heading to the Kempegowda International Airport.
This led to an argument between the victim and the cab driver, who allegedly punched the customer. This led to the victim bleeding from his nose. A case has been filed in Mahadevapura police station and the accused has been charged under sections 323 (assault), 341 (wrongful restraint) and 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) of the Indian Penal Code. The incident comes after a cab driver killed 32-year-old model-cum-event manager in Bengaluru in August.
“The argument began when the driver asked the victim to cancel the trip, if he would not comply with his demands, which the customer denied. As the customer said he would be fined for doing so, the driver went behind the vehicle and started throwing the luggage, which was loaded on the ground, according to the statement recorded,” a police official from the station told indianexpress.com.
The official also added that the victim alleged that the can driver punched him after he said he would complain of his behavior on the smartphone app. The victim has sustained a nasal bone dislocation, according to the police official. “He was, hence not allowed to board the flight to Kolkata for Durga Puja, even after reaching the Bengaluru Airport on-time boarding another cab,” police added.
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An investigation is underway and the police have identified the driver as Harish K S but are yet to find him. The driver seems to be absconding since the incident came to light. The cab aggregator has confirmed that the driver has been suspended from its platform. His access to the service has been removed after the complaint. “The safety of our riders is paramount and upon learning of this incident, we removed the driver-partner’s access to the app,” an Uber spokesperson told indianexpress.com.
