Cab driver, his two children held for manhandling policeman

A cab driver and his two children, including his daughter, were arrested here for allegedly manhandling a police inspector, an official said on Friday.

The accused were identified as Bahadur Dwarka Prasad (50), his son Arun (22) and daughter Shweta (23), police said.

Bahadur Prasad, an Ola cab driver, had picked up a passenger from Mumbai and dropped him in Thane on the night of November 21, the official said.

"But when he asked the passenger to pay the fare, the latter accused him of overcharging and allegedly started abusing and beating up him," he said.

After a heated exchange, the driver took the passenger to Naupada police station and lodged a complaint against him. The police asked both of them to return in the morning, the official added.

"As instructed by the police, both the parties went to the police station on Wednesday morning. Shortly before noon, when police inspector (crime) Sanjay Dhumal was discussing the case with the driver, his son and daughter, who were also present there, started interrupting him and talking loudly," police said.

"The officer asked them to remain calm and sit by the side and allow him to complete his work. However, this annoyed them and they started abusing Dhumal," police said adding that Shweta even pulled him by his uniform.

Sub-inspector Mohini Kapile lodged a complaint against the trio and they were booked under IPC sections 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) and others.

They were arrested on Wednesday and later produced in a local court, which remanded them in judicial custody, police said.