Mumbai auto driver held for sexually assaulting drunk man after argument over fare

The Mumbai Police arrested a 25-year-old autorickshaw driver for sexually assaulting an inebriated male passenger following a dispute over the payment of fare, police said on Wednesday.

The incident occurred in the suburban area of Ghatkopar on Saturday night, and was reported by the 31-year-old male passenger who rented the autorickshaw. The passenger, in a state of disorientation after drinking, directed the driver to various locations, highly confused over his intended destination, the police official said.

"After an hour, the passenger eventually disembarked from the rickshaw. When the driver requested payment of Rs 250 in fare, the passenger handed him a Rs 100 note, triggering an argument. In a fit of anger, the driver forcibly took the man to an isolated spot in a nearby garden and engaged in non-consensual sexual acts with him," stated the official.

Subsequently, the driver coerced the man to accompany him to an ATM kiosk and compelled him to withdraw Rs 200. The driver also snatched his mobile phone and ATM card before allowing him to leave.

On Tuesday, the survivor approached the police to lodge a complaint about the theft of his mobile phone. Initially reticent, he eventually narrated the entire incident, police said.

The officials registered an FIR under the relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including 377 (non-consensual unnatural sexual intercourse) and 394 (voluntarily causing hurt in committing robbery). The driver was subsequently arrested, the official added. An investigation in the case is underway.