Bengaluru: An Ola autorickshaw driver in the city on Wednesday abused a Hindi-speaking woman passenger and allegedly slapped her for cancelling his ride. The woman recorded the incident on her phone and uploaded the videos on a social media platform.

The video of the incident shows the enraged auto driver scolding her and trying to snatch her phone.

In the viral video, the driver can be heard saying, “How can you cancel my ride by mistake? Does your father pay for the gas? How long did I wait here, and you just chose to sit in another auto.”

In response to the driver’s intimidation, the woman passenger said she would file a complaint against him with the police.

“Come, let us go to the police. Do you think you can scare me?” the driver retorted, using abusive language and grabbing her mobile phone while she was recording the incident.

The driver abused her, using words like "motherf***er" and "bloody prostitute" in Kannada.

He claimed that he had waited for 10 minutes before she cancelled the ride. Other drivers present intervened and tried to calm him down.

In a social media post, the woman explained that she and her friend had booked two autos on Ola due to peak hours. "I arrived first, so she cancelled hers. The other auto driver followed us, furious. Despite explaining the situation, he started shouting and hurling abuses."

"The driver verbally assaulted us, questioning whether the auto belonged to my father and making derogatory comments. I began recording, which enraged him further. When I mentioned reporting him, he challenged me, showing no fear of consequences," she added.

She demanded that Ola take immediate and strict action against the driver for his misbehaviour.

Accusing the rickshaw driver of physically assaulting her, she said, "Things escalated when he tried to snatch my phone. I resisted, and he slapped me in front of my auto driver, who did nothing, and bystanders who remained passive. Despite this, he continued his threats, saying he’d beat me with his slippers too."

The viral video has triggered outrage on social media, with users demanding strict action against the driver for his aggressive behaviour toward the passenger.

Police action

The Bengaluru City Police responded to her post and asked her to provide specific details.

In an X post, Karnataka Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) for Traffic and Safety Alok Kumar said, “Such behaviour is unacceptable. A few people like him give the auto drivers' community a bad name. I have informed the concerned authorities to take appropriate action.”