Woman jumps off auto to flee abusive driver in Coimbatore

COIMBATORE: A 22-year-old woman suffered injuries allegedly after she jumped out from an autorickshaw to escape from the driver who tried to molest her. The incident happened in the wee hours of Monday, and the driver was arrested on Tuesday.

According to police, the woman, a native of Erode, returned to the city from Tiruppur in the wee hours and booked an auto-rickshaw through a mobile app. The driver, identified as S Mohammed Sadiq, (44) picked her up. When the autorickshaw reached Fun Republic Mall on Avinashi Road, Sadiq allegedly tried to misbehave with her. She asked him to stop the vehicle, but Sadiq did not and tried to take a different route.

Sensing danger, she jumped out of the vehicle and suffered injuries on her head, left hand and left leg. Seeing this, Sadiq fled. The woman then informed her friends and they took her to a hospital.

Based on her complaint, Peelamedu police registered a case under sections 354 and 354 (A) of the IPC and Section 4 of the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Harassment of Women Act. They traced the suspect through his auto-rickshaw number. He was arrested and remanded in jail.