'We apologise to all Kannadigas': Bihar woman released on bail in Bengaluru auto driver assault case

In a gesture of remorse, the woman and her husband apologised to the auto driver at the police station. The couple said, “We apologise to all Kannadigas. This will not happen again.” A video of their apology has since gone viral on social media.

Bengaluru: A 28-year-old woman, Pankhuri Mishra, was arrested on Sunday for allegedly hitting an auto driver with her slipper in Bengaluru's Bellandur area. Pankhuri, a software engineer living in Green Glen Layout, was later released on station bail after giving her statement to the police. Auto driver Lokesh, a resident of Doddasomanahalli, had filed a complaint against the woman, hailing from Bihar, at the Bellandur police station.

The incident happened around 3:30 PM on Saturday. According to the complaint, while Lokesh was driving his auto-rickshaw near Bellandur Circle, the woman on a two-wheeler suddenly stopped and accused him of hitting her vehicle. Although Lokesh denied the allegation, the woman began verbally abusing him. He then started recording the incident on his mobile phone, which reportedly enraged the woman further. She attempted to snatch his phone and then took off her slipper and repeatedly hit him with it.

Acting on the advice of locals, Lokesh visited the police station and filed a formal complaint. He also submitted the video footage as evidence. “I did not hit the woman’s two-wheeler. The CCTV footage from the area can confirm this. I did nothing wrong, yet she assaulted and abused me,” Lokesh said in his statement.

In a gesture of remorse, the woman and her husband apologised to the auto driver at the police station. The woman even fell at his feet while asking for forgiveness. The couple said, “We apologise to all Kannadigas. This will not happen again.” A video of their apology has since gone viral on social media.