Bengaluru Auto Driver Who Slapped Student, To Cough Up Rs 30K For Bail, Spend 4 Days In Custody

A moment of rage proved costly for R. Muthuraj, Ola autorickshaw driver from Chikkalasandra, who was arrested by the Magadi Road police for slapping and threatening a college student after she cancelled her ride.

The incident, which took place on Tuesday evening, was recorded on the student's mobile phone and quickly went viral.

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The video sparked widespread outrage, with many commuters slamming Muthuraj and other auto drivers for harassing passengers.

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), reported the Times of India.

Due to the severity of the charges, Muthuraj was not granted station bail and was instead presented in court.

A senior police officer explained, "This was a rogue act. The accused verbally abused and physically assaulted a young woman in broad daylight, all because she cancelled a ride. Such behaviour is unacceptable, and we decided to bring him before the court to demonstrate the gravity of the offence. His transfer to judicial custody shows the court is taking the matter seriously."

Muthuraj will remain in custody for at least four days before he can apply for bail. According to police sources, the legal expenses for securing his release could cost him Rs 30,000 or more.

"He'll have to wait until Monday to apply for bail, and even if it's granted, the paperwork won't be completed until Tuesday or Wednesday," an investigating officer noted.

When questioned, Muthuraj admitted that he lost his temper after the ride was cancelled, but accepted that his actions-verbally abusing and slapping the student-were unjustifiable.

"The fuel cost for the cancelled 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 added.

In light of the incident, additional commissioner of transport (enforcement) C. Mallikarjuna said that a report on Muthuraj's actions has been requested from the jurisdictional RTO.

"We'll initiate action on suspending the driving licence and the permit of the driver after receiving the report," Mallikarjuna stated.

Transport commissioner Yogeesh A.M. clarified the rules regarding ride cancellations, saying, "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 has yet to respond to inquiries regarding its policy on ride cancellations or what action, if any, will be taken against Muthuraj.