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.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Second PUC results: Life convict clears exam with distinction, DGP lauds effort
_vb_63.jpeg)
Bengaluru: A life convict lodged in Ballari Central Prison has successfully cleared the second PUC examination.
Ashok Kumar S, who appeared for the examination under prison escort, secured 481 marks out of 600, registering 80.1 percent.
Director General of Police (Prisons and Correctional Services), Alok Kumar (IPS), shared the development on his official ‘X’ handle, commending the inmate’s achievement.
In his post, he stated that it was heartening to see a life convict score over 80 percent in the examination, adding that the inmate had appeared from Ballari Central Prison under escort.
It’s heartening to see that one of our life convict prisoners Ashok has obtained 80.1% marks in PUC exam. He appeared under Prison escort from Ballari Central Prison for his exams.
— alok kumar (@alokkumar6994) April 9, 2026
Glad to see that Walls of the prison has not subdued his hopes for a better future. pic.twitter.com/Nzlcy076SR
He further noted that the achievement reflected that the “walls of the prison have not subdued his hopes for a better future.”
Alok Kumar in his post also shared the result sheet of Ashok.
The Karnataka School Examination and Assessment Board (KSEAB) declared the second PUC results for 2026 on April 9.
A total of 6,32,200 students appeared for the examination across all streams, of whom 5,46,698 passed, recording an overall pass percentage of 86.48 per cent.
