Bengaluru bizman slapped, assaulted by cab driver after questioning route; no one helped, says victim

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A cab driver in Bengaluru has been arrested and released on bail after allegedly assaulting a passenger in a dispute over a route taken to avoid a toll plaza, TOI reported.

The incident, which underscores rising tensions over urban transport etiquette, occurred on October 9 after businessman Bharath Ramarao landed at Kempegowda International Airport (KIA).

According to a complaint filed with the Chikkajala police, the altercation began when the driver, identified as 36-year-old Mujahid Ali Mujeeb, also known as Mujahid Pasha, diverted from the expected route.

Bharath, who had pre-paid for his journey online, was cited by TOI as saying that he immediately questioned the driver. “I immediately asked the driver why he took me on a different route instead of the toll road, as I had already paid the money online. The driver started shouting at me,” the complainant stated.

Alarmed by the driver’s rising aggression, Bharath insisted on stopping the vehicle and got out. The situation escalated rapidly when he took a photograph of the driver on his mobile phone. “The driver got down and slapped me. During the argument, he again assaulted me,” Bharath recounted, adding that despite several witnesses, no one intervened to help.

He managed to call the police helpline 112. The driver, however, fled the scene before officers could arrive. Based on the details provided by Bharath, police subsequently located and arrested Mujahid Pasha by 10 pm on the same day.

A senior police officer, while confirming the driver’s claim that the passenger had shouted at him for avoiding the toll, was unequivocal in his assessment of the incident. The officer reportedly said that whatever the reason, assaulting someone is unlawful.

The driver has been booked under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including voluntarily causing hurt, wrongful restraint, mischief, criminal intimidation and intentional insult with intent to provoke a breach of peace. He was later released on bail.