Mumbai: The Colaba police have booked a 26-year-old taxi driver for assaulting a woman lawyer outside the City Civil and Sessions Court, Kala Ghoda, on Wednesday, after an argument ensued between the two. The lawyer insisted that the driver, Amir Ansari, drop her and a colleague at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus and charge as per the meter but he refused and assaulted her.
Asif Naqvi, Secretary of the Bombay City Civil and Sessions Court Bar Association, confirmed that the taxi driver misbehaved, assaulted, threatened, abused, and acted indecently toward a fellow advocate. “Despite her immediate attempt to register an FIR, the Colaba police initially refused to take any action.
Hence, they visited the police station,” Naqvi said, adding that only after their intervention the case was lodged by the police.
In her complaint, the lawyer claimed she left the court after completing work on Wednesday afternoon and approached Ansari, who was waiting for a passenger. She said she and her colleague attempted to board the taxi, but Ansari informed them that he would charge Rs60 as fare.
The woman claimed they insisted he charge as per the meter, but he refused. The two lawyers and the driver spoke to other taxi drivers, who confirmed they charge as per the meter. This, the complainant alleged, angered Ansari, who got into an argument and then a scuffle with them.
The altercation escalated, and the accused allegedly began abusing the woman in filthy language and physically hurt her. Later, the woman claimed that the accused touched her inappropriately and also assaulted her.
Due to the scuffle, a crowd gathered, and a few people removed the keys from the accused’s car. The accused was later taken to the police station, where the woman lawyer lodged a case against him.
