A sensational spectacle in broad daylight has intensified public alarm over violence in Bengaluru, where an auto-rickshaw driver was savagely attacked by two strangers in the KR Puram district of the capital.
The victim, Venkatesh Papayya, narrowly survived after the attackers said he had been beaten by a cutting plier, screwdriver, rod and wooden sticks for not turning over his money. At approximately 2:30 p.m. on Friday, Venkatesh dropped off passengers. Two men reportedly approached the unnamed man, who was lying near the vehicle in a drunken state.
Witnesses said the attackers appeared to be intoxicated with alcohol and ganja. The alleged assailant then hopped into the auto-rickshaw and tried to demand money from the driver. Then Venkatesh told them that he had no cash, and from there it quickly turned violent.
Then the attackers abruptly removed dangerous weapons and, according to reports, a cutting plier, screwdriver, and began pounding him inside the transport, they said. In order to save himself, Venkatesh reportedly jumped out of the vehicle attempting to escape capture.
The men accused, however, are believed to have chased him down the street using wooden sticks and rods. Witnesses said the attackers, witnesses to the incident said, attacked the auto driver openly in public view in daylight and set the local population into panic.
This alleged progression of horrors has been confirmed by videos and CCTV footage of the attacks. The video shows the accused continuing to strike the victim, and even then, folding his hands and pleading with them to stop attacking him. At one point, the attackers apparently hit him so hard that the wooden sticks broke into pieces.
The people who witnessed the attack are said to have been stunned by the savagery carried out during the assault, which resembled an action film. Bystanders later found the injured driver and called the cops. Venkatesh Papayya was badly hurt during the attack, but was ultimately saved. And he was later transferred for medical treatment and reportedly is out of danger.
From the incident's Aftermath: At the K R Puram Police Station - A complaint is filed. The police have opened a probe and are examining the CCTV footage to track down and trace the suspects. This has alarmed Indian auto drivers and locals alike as they have sounded the alarm at skyrocketing violence and disorder across Bengaluru.
Citizens are calling for tougher policing and harsher punishment for those anti-social activities taking place in the city. The disturbing CCTV footage, shared widely on social media, is expected to be seen online: authorities will certainly have extra work up to the moment when they arrest the accused.
