Mumbai: 918 auto drivers lose licenses for saying 'no' to commuters
Mumbai: In a first, the Maharashtra transport department has revoked licenses of 918 auto-rickshaw drivers in Mumbai and neighbouring Thane city for refusing fare, an official said on Wednesday.
Till now, licenses were cancelled for offences like furnishing fake documents to get permits, but not for refusing fare, a senior transport official told PTI.
"This is the first time that the department has acted against auto-rickshaw drivers for refusing fare," he said.
"Transport commissioner Shekhar Channe recently launched the drive under which licenses of 918 auto-rickshaw drivers were revoked for refusing fare in last few months in Mumbai and Thane," he said.
Earlier, the transport department's data was not accessible online and drivers used to get licenses in different names, assistant regional transport officer Tanaji Chavan said.
"But everything is online now and these drivers won't be able to procure another license in any other name anywhere in the country," he said.
According to another official, the regional transport office (RTO) suspended licenses of 12,342 auto drivers for various traffic rules violations in last six months.
Of these, licenses of 918 drivers, particularly from areas like Kurla, Bandra, Bandra- Kurla Complex (BKC) and Lokmanya Tilak Terminus in Mumbai and neighbouring Thane city, were cancelled for refusing fare, he said.
Chavan said the transport department formed 14 special squads to track these drivers following complaints from several commuters.
Meanwhile, Mumbai Auto-Rickshaw Men's Union leader Shashank Rao said the authorities should be lenient with first-time offenders.
"Auto-rickshaw drivers are not on the road to refuse fares. First-time offenders should be shown some leniency," he said.
"But, at the same time I would also like to say that all cases (of refusal or violations) are not genuine. We have won such cases in the past. I would be making a representation to the RTO," Rao said.
Lauding the move, a commuter who daily travels from Santacruz station to Milan Subway in suburban Andheri, said, "These auto-rickshaw drivers deserve such an action."
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Man chased, brutally stabbed inside public toilet in northwest Delhi; one arrested; juvenile held
New Delhi (PTI): An alleged road rage incident took a fatal turn when a 27-year-old factory worker was chased down by assailants and stabbed multiple times inside a public toilet in northwest Delhi's Ashok Vihar area, police said on Thursday.
According to police, the incident took place on Wednesday night, when witnesses saw the victim, Santosh Kumar, running into a public toilet in a desperate bid to save his life, with his attackers hot on his heels.
"A PCR call was received at 6:23 pm on April 8 regarding a man being stabbed inside the compound of a Sulabh Sauchalaya located at the fish market in Wazirpur Industrial Area," a senior police officer said.
A police team rushed to the spot and found the victim lying in a pool of blood inside the toilet premises. The victim, originally from Nepal, was residing in Macchi Market area, the official said.
Preliminary inquiry revealed that the incident stemmed from an altercation between the victim and a motorcycle rider. The verbal spat soon escalated into a physical scuffle, during which the accused, along with an associate, allegedly attacked Santosh with a knife.
Police sources said in a desperate attempt to save himself, the injured victim ran towards the nearby public toilet and tried to latch the door from inside. Eyewitness accounts suggest he tried to take refuge inside the public toilet and shut the door to prevent his attackers from entering. However, he was chased down, overpowered, and stabbed multiple times.
Santosh collapsed on the spot, where he later succumbed to his injuries, police said.
A case under sections 103(1) (murder) and 3(5) (common intentions) was registered at Ashok Vihar police station and an investigation was taken up.
During the probe, police arrested one accused identified as Tanish (19), a resident of CSA Colony in Macchi Market area, and apprehended a juvenile allegedly involved in the incident.
Police said the motorcycle used by the accused, which they had abandoned while fleeing after the attack, was recovered near the crime scene.
Family members and acquaintances of the deceased expressed shock over the killing. Santosh's uncle, who reached the spot after being informed, recounted the scene.
"When I came here, I saw him lying on the floor, dead. I noticed that he had been stabbed twice. I am not aware of what exactly happened. He was just 27 years old and used to work in a steel company with me. I don't know how many people were involved in the attack. We are from Nepal, and I have been working here for 15 years. I think he was stabbed outside and later came inside the toilet to save himself. There was a bike outside which I think belonged to the attackers," he said.
Police said the motive behind the crime appears to be road rage -- a sudden and heated altercation on the road that spiralled into a violent assault resulting in the victim's death.
Efforts are underway to identify and apprehend any other persons involved in the attack. Police teams are analysing CCTV footage from the surrounding area and examining local witnesses to piece together the sequence of events.
