Bengaluru bike taxi row: Rapido journey turns violent; driver detained, police file FIR

A disturbing altercation between a Rapido bike taxi driver and a girl passenger in Bengaluru’s Jayanagar has triggered public outrage after a video of the incident went viral on social media. The lady, reportedly employed at a jewelry retailer, confronted the rider over rash driving and selected to disembark mid-ride. The state of affairs escalated quickly, culminating in bodily assault captured on digicam.

The dispute intensified as a result of a language barrier: the girl communicated in English, whereas the motive force, recognized as Suman S, spoke solely Kannada. Tensions mounted when the girl allegedly refused to pay the fare and return the helmet. In accordance with police, she struck the rider first, prompting Suman to retaliate by slapping her, inflicting her to fall to the bottom.

Regardless of the altercation unfolding in a public house, onlookers didn’t intervene. The viral video reveals each events pleading with bystanders, however nobody stepped ahead to de-escalate the battle.

Nonetheless, a brand new CCTV clip has emerged which reveals the girl hitting him first, as claimed by the rider, Suman S, earlier. Within the video, with a timestamp of 9.38 am, the girl was seen hitting the person on his bike repeatedly. The person then obtained off his bike and continued to argue with the girl. She was seen hitting him once more.

Suman has been detained, and a police case has been filed in opposition to him. The FIR names prices underneath Sections 115(2) (try to trigger damage), 352 (assault or felony drive), and 79 (uttering obscene phrases in a public place) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). His automobile quantity is KA-05-KJ-2897.

The motive force claimed the state of affairs worsened after the passenger demanded an unsafe cease. “She stored asking me to cease whereas I used to be in the course of the highway. I defined that somebody would hit us from behind if we stopped there,” he stated.

Suman additionally admitted to creating a xenophobic comment, telling the girl to “return to your nation.” He additional alleged that she abused him and grabbed his collar. “She requested if I used to be educated and continued to be impolite. I requested concerning the fee, however she stored abusing me. She hit me twice with a tiffin field, and that’s after I hit her again,” he stated.

Initially reluctant to lodge a criticism, the girl approached the Jayanagar Police Station after the video surfaced and her buddies inspired her to behave. In her criticism, she accused the motive force of reckless driving and bodily assault, stating that he used abusive language and assaulted her in a public house.

The incident comes at a important time for bike taxi providers in Karnataka. Simply days earlier, the Karnataka Excessive Courtroom declined to remain a directive banning bike taxis. Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy reiterated that utilizing privately registered two-wheelers for industrial functions is illegitimate, noting that the providers lacked correct licences.

Rapido, a number one platform providing such providers, has responded by suspending its bike taxi operations and launching a brand new providing, ‘Bike Parcel’, to adjust to regulatory tips.