4 men beat auto driver with boulder, arrested

An auto driver was brutally beaten up with boulders by a gang of four men, who had previously warned him ‘not to enter their area’, in Saidabad late on Saturday. The incident came to light after the police saw the CC footage of the incident and asked the man to give a complaint. The auto-rickshaw driver was initially scared to approach the police fearing the men.

Police booked the men for attempt to murder and placed them under arrest on Monday. This is the fourth incident where a man was attacked openly, despite police warnings.

A man who tried to intervene was slapped and asked to back off by the gang. Many vehicles that went past the area did not stop.

Speaking to this newspaper, additional DCP of Central Zone P. Govinda Reddy said that P. Arjuna, 25, a resident of Madannapet, is an auto driver. The four men, identified as Sabavath Laxman, K. Gopi, G. Mahesh, and G. Pavan, are all catering workers, boarded Arjuna’s auto for the first time around six months back.

“They got down Singareni colony at in Saidabad, where they live. When Arjuna asked for the fare, they refused to pay up and threatened him that he cannot ask them for money and warned him not to show up in the vicinity ever again, after which Arjuna left the place,” said the official.

On Saturday, when Arjuna was dropping a passenger at Singareni colony, the men identified him and attacked him. “They picked up an argument and pushed him down on the road, while two of the men picked up a boulder from the roadside and hit him on the head with it. The others kicked and punched him,” said inspector of Saidabad N. Mohan Rao, adding that they did not have any prior criminal history and were all first time offenders.

After the incident, Arjuna was rushed to a hospital where the police visited him to take a statement.

“I was scared that they will again attack me if I go to the police,” said Arjuna, adding that it was only after the police officials accessed and watched the CCTV footage of the incident he was approached and asked to report the incident.

After being assured by the cops that the culprits will be put behind bars, a complaint was lodged and a case was booked under section 307 (attempt to murder) of IPC and the four were arrested on Monday.