Lucknow, Jan 15 (IANS): A video showing a woman assaulting an auto driver in Uttar Pradesh's Mirzapur has gone viral, allegedly following a dispute over fare. The woman, Priyanshi Pandey, however, claimed that the driver used a "wrong word" about her, which led to the confrontation.
She further stated that she has been receiving threat calls since the incident.
In the video, Priyanshi Pandey is seen dragging auto driver Vimlesh Kumar Shukla away from his seat while abusing him. Despite Shukla pleading with folded hands, Pandey continues to thrash him. She later uploaded the video on her Instagram, and it quickly gained traction. Following this, the auto driver filed a police complaint against her, seeking justice.
The accounts of the auto driver and the woman regarding the cause of the altercation differ. Shukla explained that the woman began attacking him when he requested the fare after dropping her off. "When I dropped them and asked for fare, they refused saying they were students. When I kept demanding the fare, one of them got hold of my collar and gave her mobile to her sister and asked her to record it. I then said I don't want fare. I did not even touch them," said the auto driver.
Shukla expressed his humiliation after seeing the video go viral, stating, "They made the video viral on Instagram and defamed me. I was insulted so much I won't even be able to beg. I must get justice," and mentioned that he suffered injuries to his chest.
Priyanshi Pandey, who has over 28,000 followers on Instagram, responded to the allegations in a video statement. She defended her actions, saying, "The man had used obscene language about me. That's why I thrashed him. Since then, I have been getting threat calls, after which I uploaded the video from my personal ID."
Mirzapur police have registered a case and are investigating further into the matter. O.P. Singh, Additional Police Superintendent, Operations, stated that a case has been registered and action will be taken based on the facts that emerge during the course of the investigation.