THANE: A dispute over an additional ₹40 in autorickshaw fare escalated into violence in Dombivli on Monday afternoon, leaving a 62-year-old woman with a fractured hand and a driver booked by police.
The accused, identified as Dattatray Namdev More, 56, was traced through his vehicle’s registration number and summoned to the Manpada police station, where he was served a notice and later released.
The victim, Riza Joseph, 62, a Vikhroli resident who owns a flat in Dawdi village in Dombivli East, had travelled to Kasturi Plaza with her new tenant, Lalti Lalaman Patel, and two witnesses to complete rent agreement formalities. At about 1.30pm, Joseph and her tenant hired an autorickshaw from the plaza, agreeing on a fare of ₹120 for the return journey.
In her complaint, Joseph stated that upon reaching the destination, the driver demanded ₹160 instead, claiming the drop point was farther than initially indicated. Although she agreed to pay the revised fare, the driver began shouting and hurling abuses, accusing passengers of misleading drivers about destinations and insisting on being driven inside residential complexes.
Hearing the commotion, Shubham, the tenant’s son, came outside and asked the driver to stop shouting. Police said this reportedly enraged the driver, who abused and assaulted him.
When Joseph intervened, the driver allegedly pushed her, causing her to fall and fracture her left hand. He then tried to flee, but a local resident noted down the autorickshaw’s registration number.
Joseph later lodged a complaint with Manpada police and was admitted to a hospital in Dombivli for treatment.
Senior police inspector Sandipan Shinde of Manpada police station said the driver was traced the same day and booked under Sections 125(b) (Act endangering life or personal safety), 115(2) (Voluntarily causing hurt), and 352 (Intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
The victim’s family declined to comment when contacted.