A case has been registered against the taxi drivers operating at the Mangaluru International Airport for harassing a passenger who had hired the services of a private taxi aggregator from the airport to the city.
In her complaint registered with the women’s police station on Sunday, the woman, a resident of Bengaluru, said she arrived by a Jet Airways flight on June 12 to meet her ailing father-in-law in the city.
Her family members had booked an OLA cab to pick her up from the airport and drop her to the destination.
She alleged that some unruly taxi drivers hit the OLA cab driver, who, out of fear, drove away without picking her up.
The taxi drivers had a heated argument with the passenger and tried to molest her. They also followed her for nearly a kilometre before she managed to get an autorickshaw.
In a statement e-mailed to reporters, the victim’s husband claimed that his wife saw the OLA taxi driver being manhandled badly by a group of drivers associated with the airport. “Car keys of the driver were snatched.” The taxi driver managed to drive out of the airport parking and parked outside the toll gate of the airport to pick the lady. But the drivers followed and abused her, while shooing the driver away.
Police Commissioner S. Murugan said a case of sexual harassment (Section 354 of Indian Penal Code) has been registered. The case will be transferred to Bajpe police, which will do the further investigation.
The police have called the complainant for recording further statement about the allegation.
They are also looking into the closed circuit camera images and other evidences about the alleged harassment. They are also searching for the driver of the private taxi aggregator. Denying the alleged harassment to passenger, Dakshina Kannada District Taximen and Maxicab Association President K. Monappa Bhandary said taxi drivers in the airport only sent away the OLA cab driver and they did not do anything to the woman.
Denying support to taxi drivers, Mangaluru Airport Authority Director J.T. Radhakrishna said they were no restriction on operation of taxis. Following the complaint by the woman on Sunday, a warning has been issued to the taxi drivers allegedly involved in the incident, he said.
