Bengaluru Ola driver controversy: ‘Will has his driving license suspended’, slap to student costs him Rs 30,000, 4 days of freedom | Bengaluru News

BENGALURU: A tantrum proved costly for city residents Ola autorickshaw driver R Muthuraj, who was arrested by the Magadi road police for slapping and threatening a student after canceling a ride. Muthuraj will languish in jail this weekend and will be forced to pay at least Rs 30,000 for legal fees to get a deposit.

A video of Muthuraj’s action, recorded on the girl’s mobile phone on Tuesday night, went viral and a majority of motorists criticised him and his ilk for harassing road users. Muthuraj was booked under sections 74 (assault or use of criminal force to a woman with intent to outrage her modesty) and 352 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The Chikkalasandra resident could not escape with a mere bail as the police decided to produce him in court to highlight the gravity of his actions.
“This is an act of malfeasance. The accused verbally and physically assaulted a young woman in broad daylight, all because she had cancelled a ride. Such behaviour is unacceptable and we have decided to produce him in court to demonstrate the gravity of the offence. His transfer to judicial custody shows that the court is taking the matter seriously,” a senior police official said.
Muthuraj now faces at least four days in custody before he can be considered for bail. Hiring a lawyer and covering legal fees will cost him Rs 30,000 or more, police sources said. “He will have to wait till Monday to apply for bail, and even if granted, the paperwork will not be completed till Tuesday or Wednesday,” an investigating officer said.
When questioned, Muthuraj admitted that he lost his cool after the trip was cancelled but could not justify his actions of verbally abusing and slapping the girl. “The fuel cost for the cancelled trip was probably not more than Rs 20-30, but now he is going to spend more than Rs 30,000 to leave. Had he exercised restraint, this situation would not have arisen,” the officer said.
Will suspend DL: Official
C Mallikarjuna, deputy commissioner of transport (enforcement), informed TOI that a report on the incident has been sought from the jurisdictional RTO. “We will take action to suspend the driver’s licence and permit after receiving the report,” he said.
On the rules governing cancellation of rides booked through apps, Transport Commissioner Yogeesh AM said, “The ministry has not fixed any fee to compensate the loss due to cancellation of rides by passengers or drivers.”
This is an agreement between the aggregator and the passenger who books a ride using their mobile application.
Ola did not respond to TOI’s queries on its ride cancellation policy or action taken against it. car driver.