Bengaluru, 16 Sept

Bengaluru autorickshaw driver Muthuraj who was arrested last week for abusing a woman passenger recently said that he had no intention to slap the woman but tried to grab her phone to stop her from calling the police.

In an interview with YouTube channel Auto Ratha Saradhi, Muthuraj said, "I agree that grabbing her phone was a mistake, but I did not slap her as she has claimed in the video. My intention was to stop her from calling the authorities. The incident happened at the spur of the moment."

He said has been banned from all aggregator apps like Ola and Uber and has received threatening calls after the incident. "After the incident, all aggregator apps blocked my account, and I received threats from unknown callers. Although I regret my actions and am facing legal issues, people should understand the challenges auto drivers’ face, particularly when they fail to meet their daily targets," he said and apologised for his actions.

Muthuraj thanked those who helped cover his legal expenses. "I am thankful to those who provided financial support during this time. As an ordinary person unfamiliar with legal processes, I am seeking assistance from auto unions to help me cope with this situation I am in," he said. A crowd funding event was organised and the general public managed to get Rs 30, 000 which was handed over to Muthuraj. -Salar News