This happened a few days back; An auto rikshaw(KA 05 B 7361) bumped my car from behind and damaged the breaklight at about 6.30 pm on JP Nagar Ring Road. The auto driver started abused me, saying that I didn’t know how to drive etc. There was an argument over whose mistake it was and I told the driver to explain things in the police station and started off after noting down his regn number.
About half a km ahead, this auto driver appears suddenly from nowhere in a traffic junction and snatches the car key and before I realised what was happening, he starts hitting me on the face. There were many people in the junction and a good hearted lady came and stopped this assault! As I was mentally not prepared to face such a situation, it took a while for me to come out of the shock and by the time I realised I had to stop this guy from getting away and call the police, he had vanished from the scene.(I was a little hesitant to get out of the car as there were many autos near by and I was afraid that they too would join their mate without trying to find out what happened).
I went to the nearest police station with a black eye and a swollen face(JP Nagar) and filed a complaint of manahandling and physical assault including damage to the car( No. DWD - 2004, 0060415, dated 08-05-09; 120402/09).
The SUb Inspector present there promptly told me that they would get the auto driver next day and that he would be made to apologise in addition to coughing up for the damages. Also that I need not go to the court as these would unnecessarily take a lot of my time and effort. He took my number and said that I would be called to the station when this auto driver is brought to the station. I thought the SI made sense and agreed with him and returned home thinking that the SI would keep his word.
There was no information after that and I went to the station to find out what had happened. Nothing! I was told to go again after another couple of days and the second time, I was told that the address mentioned in RTO records doesn’t match and that the auto driver couldn’t be found there. I met another SI who was present there and asked him what can be done. He asked me to bring the B- Extract, which contains the ownership history and all other details, from the RTO. I promptly brought this and gave it to the cops, hoping to get justice.
After a week, again I went, only to find no progress had been made. In fact, no body had even opened the file after the B-extract was given. When I asked what I should do to get justice, a cop was sent with me( I had to take them in my car!) to search for the address. THe person couldn’t be tracked that day and I was told that there’s another similar sounding village where this address could be found. We were supposed to go again next day, but the next day never came. I called the cop several times, but he was occupied with some or the other work most of the time. I went to the station again several times, but either the SI wouldn’t be there or the person who keeps the copy of the record wouldn’t be there or the person who heard my story the previous day wouldn’t be there.!
I have given up hope of getting any justice.but I guess now I am more prepared to thwart any such attack.(I keep a Cobra pepper spray in my car always!). And I feel that there’s no point in expecting to get justice from our cops; rather we should get it in our own ways possible(money, muscle, T@* for tat whatever suits you best:-))
Well, in case anyone wants to know,
the auto driver’s name is G. Narayana, #81/1, GowdanaPalya, Subramanyapura, Bangalore - 61. Auto Number - KA-05-B-7361.(Previous owner: Sri Papanna, 3rd Cross, Netaji Road, Uttara halli, Subramanyapura Post, Bangalore - 81).
Wondering if a few bucks along with the complaint would’ve got the work done?
Drive Safe!