A rickshaw puller was severely beaten up over a fare dispute here on Sunday evening, the police said.
Identified as Jaseem, the victim was repeatedly attacked on his head with a beer bottle for demanding that his passenger pay him the fare that they both had agreed upon prior to the ride at New Friends Colony around 8:30 p.m. “He was admitted to the Holy Family Hospital with head injuries. He is said to be out of danger,” said a senior police officer.
According to the police, Jaseem might not have survived the attack had a few witnesses not rushed to his aid after hearing his cries for help.
The accused, later identified as Mohammad Juman, was handed over to the police, and has been booked for culpable homicide not amounting to murder.
“Jaseem had picked Juman up at Surya Hotel and dropped him outside the Holy Family Hospital. But without paying the fare, Mohammad simply walked away. Jaseem claims he repeatedly called out to him asking for the fare,” the officer said.
“An argument between the two suddenly turned violent during which Mohammad picked an empty beer bottle from the side of the road and began attacking Jaseem on the head,” the officer said.
Mohammad allegedly tried to flee when witnesses overpowered him and handed him over to some policemen present on the hospital premises.
