KOCHI: In a bizzare incident, three women on Wednesday were arrested by Maradu police after they resorted to violence against an Uber driver who suffered a serious injury on the forehead and is currently in hospital.
Angel Baby, 36, Purathel House, Alakode, Kannur, who stays at Vyttila; her relative Clara Shijin, 27 and her friend Sheeja, 30, of Ayapurackal, Pathanamthitta are those arrested while the driver Shafeeq, 37, Thanathil House, Kumbalam has been admitted to the Ernakulam General Hospital, according to the officers.
The incident occurred around 11.30 am near the Police Watch Tower at Vyttila Jn. The trio had booked the cab using the Uberpool facility which allows passengers headed to the same destination to ride in the same cab and share the fare. However, the women got angry with the driver after they saw another male passenger seated in the vehicle.
"Though the male passenger told the women he was ready to sit in the front, the women were unwilling to settle for this. The dispute over seat sharing led to an altercation and they attacked the driver. One of the women hit the driver on the head with a stone," said an officer.
A profusely bleeding Shafeeq was rushed to the hospital in the Police Control Room(PCR) vehicle by the people and the police personnel who had gathered on seeing the altercation. The car was also damaged in the violent standoff.
The women were booked under Sections 324 (Voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons), 341 (Punishment for wrongful restraint), 323 (Punishment for voluntarily causing hurt), 294 B (sings, recites or utters any obscene song, ballad or words, in or near a public place), 427 (Mischief causing damage) read with 34 (common intention) IPC, the police said. One of those arrested Angel Mary told police she and her relative were involved in TV serial production.