Bengaluru Ola driver row: Slapping student costs him Rs 30,000, 4 days of freedom

BENGALURU: A fit of rage has proven costly for city-based Ola autorickshaw driver R Muthuraj, who was arrested by Magadi Road police for slapping and threatening a college student after she canceled a ride. Muthuraj will languish in jail this weekend apart from being forced to shell out at least Rs 30,000 towards legal expenses for getting bail.

A video clip of Muthuraj’s action, recorded on the girl’s mobile phone Tuesday evening, went viral with a majority of auto users slamming him and his ilk for harassing commuters. Muthuraj has been charged under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) Sections 74 (assault or use of criminal force on a woman with intent to outrage her modesty) and 352 (intentional insult with intent to provoke a breach of peace). The Chikkalasandra resident could not escape with a mother station bail, as police decided to present him in court to emphasize the seriousness of his actions.
“This was a rogue act. The accused verbally abused and physically assaulted a young woman in broad daylight, all because she canceled a ride. Such behavior is unacceptable, and we decided to bring him before the court to demonstrate the gravity of the offense. His transfer to judicial custody shows the court is taking the matter seriously,” said a senior police officer.
Muthuraj now faces at least four days in custody before he can even think of bail. Hiring an advocate and covering legal fees will set him back by Rs 30,000 or more, police sources said. “He’ll have to wait until Monday to apply for lease, and even if it’s granted, the paperwork won’t be completed until Tuesday or Wednesday,” an investigating officer explained.
When questioned, Muthuraj admitted that he lost his temper after the ride was canceled, but he couldn’t justify his actions of verbally abusing and slapping the girl. “The fuel cost for the canceled trip was probably no more than Rs 20-30, but he’ll now be spending more than Rs 30,000 to walk out. Had he exercised restraint, the situation wouldn’t have arisen,” the officer said .
Will suspend DL: Official
C Mallikarjuna, additional commissioner of transport (enforcement), informed TOI that a report on the incident has been sought from the jurisdictional RTO. “We’ll initiate action on suspending the driving license and the permit of the driver after receiving the report,” he said.
On rules governing the cancellation of rides booked using apps, transport commissioner Yogeesh AM said, “The department has not fixed any fee to compensate the loss for cancellation of rides by either passengers or drivers.”
It is an understanding between the aggregator and the passenger who books a ride using its mobile app.
Ola did not respond to TOI’s queries on its policy on ride cancellation or action taken against the auto driver.