DHARMAPURI: A 26-year-old man was beaten up with an iron rod for haggling with an autorickshaw driver at the Dharmapuri bus stand on Wednesday morning. A video of the bleeding passenger has spread on social media, with calls to arrest the driver.
S Venkatesan from Kadathur suffered severe head injuries in the assault.
He had come to the Dharmapuri Medical College hospital for a consultation on Wednesday morning. While returning home, he took an autorickshaw to reach the Dharmapuri bus stand.
Though he was told at the onset the fare would be Rs 150, he objected upon reaching the destination as he realised the distance was less than 2 km. Venkatesan demanded the driver to reduce the fare, but the latter took an iron road and attacked Venkatesan.
Speaking to TNIE, K Sundar from Dharmapuri said, "Autorickshaw drivers around the Dharmapuri bus stand are often rude and aggressive to passengers who arrive here. They don't have a standardised fare and exploit people as much as they can.
Those who fail to comply are often met with rude remarks and violent outbursts. The RTO and the police often turn a blind eye to such conduct. It is no surprise a rider was attacked here."
S Murali, a shopkeeper said, "Such acts impact local businesses and would keep people away from businesses in the bus stand. We urge the Dharmapuri police to improve monitoring in and around the bus stand."
Meanwhile, officials in the police department said, "We are investigating the incident. Venkatesan was rushed to the Government hospital where he was treated and is stable. A case has been registered. The autorickshaw driver will be arrested soon."
They also claimed police personnel are always stationed at the bus stand and security will be increased to prevent such crimes.