Mumbai café owner attacks Uber driver with iron rod for ‘refusing’ fare

Angry at a 46-year-old Uber driver for not dropping his woman friend 42 kilometres away from Andheri, a café owner attacked him with an iron rod on the head in Andheri. The accused, Rakesh Thalakkat, was arrested. Thalakkat booked the cab for Kalina, but his friend told him that she wanted to go to Dombivli, which led to an altercation. The driver, Shahrukh Engineer, received 12 stitches on his skull.

“Shahrukh put his location preference to Andheri to get fares only on that route. Then he got a fare for Kalina from Thalakkat,” said Shahrukh’s brother Viraf.

“When I told the woman that the destination was Kalina, she spoke to Thalakkat, who updated the destination to Dombivli. I told them I cannot take her there,” Engineer said in his statement. The refusal enraged Thalakkat.

Meanwhile, the police said it was the driver who landed the first blow, said Sudarshan Paithankar, senior inspector, Antop Hill police station.

Viraf said that Uber has promised to pay only for medical expenses.

“What’s been described is unacceptable... The rider no longer has access to the app. We are in touch with the driver partner to support him and stand ready to assist law enforcement,” said Uber.