Autorickshaw driver arrested after woman passenger forced to jump off

BENGALURU: The Namma Yatri autorickshaw driver who drove in the wrong direction, forcing a woman passenger to jump off, has been arrested by Amruthahalli police. The woman had jumped off the autorickshaw, hired through the Namma Yatri app, near Veeranapalya when the driver did not take the route suggested by the woman.

The arrested auto driver Sunil hails from Lingasugur in Raichur district. The woman had booked the auto from Horamavu to Thanisandra, but due to the driver’s behaviour, she panicked and jumped out near Veeranapalya. The woman’s husband had complained about the incident on X and tagged the Bengaluru police.

North East Division Deputy Commissioner of Police Sajeet said A case was registered in the Amruthalli police station on December 3. “Sunil came to Bengaluru a few years ago and started working as an auto driver. Investigation revealed that he was unaware of Bengaluru’s roads, which is common. He seems to have a habit of drinking alcohol. Further investigation is under way”.

The DCP said, “The auto driver did not changed his route. According to the map, he was supposed to come under the flyover to make a right turn towards Nagawara, but he opted for the flyover. Then his behaviour may have seemed suspicious”.

“The woman asked the driver to stop, but the fact that he did not stop raised suspicions about him. Then she forcibly stopped the auto at the Veeranapalya junction. The woman paid the driver and left in another auto”, the DCP said.

Namma Yatri reacted to the incident and said that their organisation is deeply committed to customer safety. “We take every incident seriously and take immediate action to protect passengers. Regarding this incident, we are cooperating fully with the investigation and providing all necessary information. As a precautionary measure, the driver involved in the incident has been blocked from the platform until the investigation is complete. We have an active ‘Save Our Souls’ (SOS) system in place to further strengthen customer safety”, the autorickshaw and cab hailing platform said.