An auto-rickshaw driver in Bangalore was arrested on Monday after a video of a physical fight between him and two young women on a ride cancellation and fare dispute circulated on social media. The incident took place in HSR Layout's 3rd sector on Monday afternoon and the video was circulated online after the police took action after it was posted.
The driver was identified as Chetan, a Bengaluru resident. HSR Layout police arrested him on Tuesday in connection with the incident, sources said. The police action was because one of the women involved in the fight filed a complaint.
The dispute is said to have started over an auto-rickshaw booking. The two women had allegedly booked and cancelled the ride several times before booking the vehicle again. There was a dispute over the fare after the ride was booked again, the sources claimed.
A passerby filmed the incident on video and posted it on social media. The women and the auto driver appeared to have a physical struggle and the video showed the argument devolving into a fight, and another woman intervened and separated the two to end the physical confrontation.
The incident has caught the attention of many because disputes between passengers and auto-rickshaw drivers over fares, cancellations and ride bookings can quickly escalate when disputes are not resolved quickly. At the very least, the verbal dispute turned into a physical one.
According to the police complaint, one of the women approached the police and filed a formal complaint. Because of the complaint, authorities registered a case and took Chetan into custody for questioning. Police are to investigate the reasons behind the incident, and how it escalated into a physical fight.
The viral video will also be part of the evidence investigators find to investigate what happened during the dispute. Police can look at footage and witness statements from people involved and others who were at the site.
At this stage, the police take the driver into custody to investigate the complaint and the circumstances and responsibility of those involved will be considered. The parties will have to go through the legal process.
The incident also shows how disputes between passengers and drivers on app-based or direct auto-rickshaw booking can quickly become contentious when passengers and drivers disagree about cancellations or fares. Both passengers and drivers may have trouble when the terms of a ride are unclear or when communication breaks down.
Police will record statements, look at footage from the incident that is available and gather other evidence to follow up on the incident. Further action will be taken based on the results of the investigation and legal provisions.
The incident in HSR Layout comes at a time when passenger-driver relations are still very much under the microscope in Bengaluru, where auto-rickshaws remain an important part of the city's daily transport network. The police investigation will establish the full sequence of events behind the viral video and determine the next steps in the case.
