Cabbie assaulted by Africans in Delhi

An Ola cab driver was allegedly assaulted on Monday morning by a group of Africans after he refused to allow more than four passengers to travel in his vehicle, police said.

The incident took place in Mehrauli area in south Delhi around 4 a.m. when the group of Africans, including five men and one woman, booked a cab from CDR chowk in Mehrauli area to Dwarka.

The Ola taxi driver, identified as Nooruddin Ali, suffered cuts and bruises near his left eye in the attack.

"Nooruddin was attacked when he refused to carry more than four passengers in his car... he was thrashed by the six people, including a woman," Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police Nupur Prasad told IANS.

Prasad said the woman attacker has been arrested while her other five associates managed to escape before police reached the spot following a PCR call.

"The victim was shifted to Jai Prakash Narayan Trauma Centre and was discharged after first aid," the officer said, adding: "A case has been registered at Mehrauli police station against the Africans under sections 323 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt), 341 (wrongful restraint) and 506 (punishment of criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code."

Nooruddin informed police that his taxi no.DL1YE5087 was booked through Ola mobile app from CDR chowk to Dwarka, picked the Africans from Rajpur Khurd - where over 300 Africans reside, but was beaten up when objected to carry more than four passengers.

"The African passengers forcibly entered in my taxi when I reached Rajpur Khurd area to pick them. I somehow took them near Nanda Hospital but stopped the taxi at the corner of Bikaner sweet shop and came out of my car refusing to carry more than four passengers.

"I was badly beaten up by them. One of them punched me from behind on my left face. I received deep cut mark near my left eye. I have had nine stitches on the cut," he said.

Nooruddin also alleged that the Africans robbed some money before fleeing from the spot.

On Friday, Delhi Police registered four separate cases relating to assault of African nationals in the Mehrauli area.

On May 20, a 23-year-old Congolese national Masonda Ketada Olivier was beaten to death by some youths after a spat over hiring of an auto-rickshaw in Vasant Kunj area of south Delhi.

--IANS

rak/vd