An auto driver alleging assault by police when he ventured out to refill gas, damaged his own vehicle in a fit of rage. The man was identified as Amrish Kumar, a native of Bihar. The incident took place on Wednesday in Mirchowk, Hyderabad.
The video of the incident went viral. In the video, the auto driver can be seen arguing with a policeman and alleged, “Nobody is providing any money to eat. Why are you beating us? Why are you stopping my vehicle? I said that I am going to refill gas, then why are you beating me? If I committed any mistake, beat me. Did I take any customer?”
A migrant auto driver who was out searching gas refill and milk for kids, allegedly thrashed by police at Mir Chowk. Angry man damages his vehicle and confronted cops, asking ’We are hungry, we have no money and you are beating us, for what ?’ #Hyderabad @CPHydCity #Lockdown pic.twitter.com/6DNeGjeXuP
— Aashish (@Ashi_IndiaToday) April 22, 2020
Following the incident, police seized the man’s vehicle and filed a case against him for violating the lockdown.
Amrish Kumar later told the media, “I was in tension. We didn't have food for the past five days, so I went to refill the gas. I don't have any family. When police asked me to hand over the vehicle's key, I got infuriated and damaged my own vehicle. It was my mistake.”
— Sho Mirchowk (@shomirchowk) April 22, 2020
Amrish disclosed that he was accompanied by his brother-in-law when the incident took place. Learning about the auto driver's plight, Chandrayangutta MLA, Akbaruddin Owaisi helped him by providing groceries.
Meanwhile, two persons were arrested by the police in separate incidents on Wednesday for allegedly assaulting policemen engaged in lockdown duty.
The Malkajgiri police arrested a 20-year-old engineering student S Adithya Reddy, resident of PVN Colony, for allegedly assaulting head constable on Tuesday night. Police said that Reddy abused the constable and pushed him to the ground when they intercepted him at BJR Nagar.
Reddy was booked under Section 353 (Assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) of the IPC and served a notice under Section 41-A of CrPC (notice of appearance before police).
Similarly in another case, the Vanasthalipuram police arrested Ch Pramod, a resident of Gowtami Nagar for allegedly assaulting sub inspector K Venkat Reddy on Tuesday night, when the latter asked him to stop playing badminton on the street and get inside the house.
The Times of India reported that the accused had slapped the inspector, which led to bleeding. Pramod was arrested and sent to judicial custody.