Bengaluru Cab Driver Arrested for Assaulting College Student After Toll Route Dispute

The suspect has been identified as Ajas P S, a 31-year-old man from Thrissur, Kerala.

In Bengaluru, authorities have apprehended a cab driver for allegedly attacking his passenger—a 19-year-old college student—following a disagreement about bypassing the toll route to Kempegowda International Airport, police reported on Saturday.

The accused, Ajas P S, aged 31 and originally from Thrissur in Kerala, was detained after the incident which reportedly occurred on October 20, according to officials.

As stated in the complaint filed by the victim's uncle, the student, who originates from West Bengal and is currently pursuing her undergraduate degree at a private university in Bengaluru, had reserved a cab through an online platform to travel to the airport for her flight.

During the journey, the driver allegedly avoided the toll road despite the toll fees being included in her payment. When she questioned this decision, he reportedly failed to provide a satisfactory explanation, prompting her to request that he stop the vehicle, according to a senior police officer.

An intense argument broke out, after which the student exited the cab and booked another one. As she was preparing to enter the new vehicle, the accused allegedly attacked her. The student then departed the location, leaving her belongings behind, while the driver fled the scene.

Based on the complaint, authorities registered a case under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita related to voluntarily causing hurt, criminal intimidation, and wrongful restraint, among other violations. Subsequently, police arrested the accused driver.

Initial investigations revealed that the accused had arrived in Bengaluru from Kerala just two days prior to the incident and was allegedly intoxicated when he accepted the booking, police further stated.