Mumbai, Apr 17: A share autorickshaw driver (26) allegedly thrashed a passenger in Dahisar West on Thursday morning over a trivial argument over fare payment. The victim succumbed to injuries the next night. The police arrested the driver on Saturday.
Sources in MHB police said Sarjuprasad Sahani (45), a security guard with a private firm in Borivli, took a share autorickshaw at Borivli station to get to his residence in Ganpat Nagar, 4 km away from his workplace.
On arriving at his destination at Ganpat Patil Nagar Galli on Link Road, Sahani gave the driver, Ramparvesh Chauhan, a Rs 100 note for a fare of R12. Chauhan told him he didn't have the exact change, and asked him to fork out another R2 so as to return R90. When Sahani told him he had only R20 left on him, Chauhan began abusing him. Meanwhile, other passengers, deboarded and went their way.
Things go awry:
Chauhan allegedly summoned two to three share autorickshaw drivers and together, they beat Sahani till he lost consciousness.
A passerby, who recognised Sahani, rushed to inform his family, while the owner of a tiles shop nearby alerted the police. Sahani's eldest son, Rajan (23), rushed him to hospital, where doctors said his condition was critical.
Sahani had suffered grievous injuries to his back and head. Rajan then approached the MHB police station to file a complaint against Chauhan. The police initially filed an FIR under Sections 323 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt) and 325 (punishment for voluntarily causing grievous hurt) of the IPC, but converted it into a murder case after Sahani died on Friday night.
Sudhakar Pujari, assistant commissioner of police, Borivli division, said Chauhan was arrested and produced before a court on Saturday. "He has been remanded in judicial custody. It was a minor argument that turned violent."
Sahani is survived by wife Indu (40), and three sons — Rajan, who is unemployed, Rahul (20), a first-year BCom student at St Rocks College in Gorai and Rohit (16), a Std XI student of Matruchhaya College in Dahisar. Sources said Chauhan is part of an illegal share autorickshaw drivers' syndicate, run by a local henchman, Guddu Singh. Autorickshaws whose permits have lapsed are allegedly run by this syndicate.