Bengaluru auto driver denies slapping woman passenger, expresses regret
Bengaluru: Autorickshaw driver Mutturaj R, aged 47, was arrested by the Magadi Road police for allegedly slapping a woman passenger after she canceled her ride. He was released on bail six days later and has expressed regret and shame for his behavior, although he denied the assault allegations.
Mutturaj, a resident of Chikkalasandra, operates a rented auto to support his family. The incident occurred on September 3 after he accepted a ride request through the Ola app. Upon reaching the pickup point in Rajajinagar, he found that the passenger had canceled the ride and was boarding another autorickshaw. Frustrated by the situation, Mutturaj confronted the woman. According to him, he only attempted to snatch her mobile phone, suspecting she was calling the police, but he insists he did not slap her.
The incident was captured on video by the woman and went viral on social media, leading to Mutturaj's arrest on September 5. He was sent to prison the following day.
In a statement, Mutturaj expressed deep regret, saying he felt ashamed after seeing the video at the police station. He admitted to using abusive language but denied any physical assault, stating, “Hang me to death if she or the police prove I assaulted her.”
The Peace Auto & Cab Drivers Association assisted Mutturaj in securing bail, with drivers contributing Rs 33,000 for legal expenses. The association also plans to approach Ola and other aggregators to request the unblocking of Mutturaj’s account and to speak with RTO officials to prevent the cancellation of his driving license.
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Maharashtra sets up state vaccination task force to strengthen immunisation programme
Mumbai (PTI): The Maharashtra government has set up a State Vaccination Task Force to strengthen the regular immunisation programme and review the progress of related campaigns, a health department official said on Monday.
The State Vaccination Task Force will comprise at least 29 members and will be headed by the administrative head of the health department, he informed.
The government has also constituted separate district-level and municipal vaccination task forces to improve implementation and address challenges at the grassroots level, he said.
Municipal task forces, chaired by respective civic commissioners, have been constituted in view of the vast urban population in Maharashtra and the role of civic bodies in implementing different health programmes.
The district-level task forces will function under the chairmanship of collectors.
"Complete immunisation of children at the appropriate age is an extremely simple, cost-effective and highly effective measure to reduce child mortality and the prevalence of diseases among kids. Immunisation is a powerful tool for reducing illness in children," maintained the official.
To ensure full vaccination of all children, the state government implements various campaigns from time to time as per the central government guidelines, he pointed out.
"Active participation and cooperation of other relevant government departments are essential (in making these campaigns successful)," according to the official.
The state-level body will review the regular immunisation programme, associated campaigns and vaccine-preventable diseases in detail. It will also conduct focused assessments of high-risk districts and municipal corporations, including vacancies at district, municipal and sub-district levels, availability of cold chain equipment, resource gaps and training requirements, he noted.
The state task force will review allocation and utilisation of funds for immunisation and ensure timely action by officers concerned based on reports from district and municipal task forces and state-level monitoring mechanisms, the official said.
It will also ensure active coordination and participation of other government departments in immunisation drives, while district and municipal task forces will carry out similar functions at their respective levels, the official added.
