Hyderabad: RC Puram police, which is probing the case of an Ola cab being burnt by four drivers near BHEL on Friday, has identified the car used by the suspects on CCTV but is unable to trace it as yet as the car had no registration number. Driver T. Naveen, 19, who was targeted by the criminals, is recovering from his injuries. On Thursday night, Mosin, his friend, who drives an Ola cab, had requested Naveen to take his place as he was busy with some personal work.
“After dropping passengers in Manikonda, a white car intercepted my vehicle. Another vehicle blocked the way from behind. One person got down from the first vehicle and assaulted me. Later they pushed me into my vehicle and drove me till BHEL,” Naveen said. After reaching BHEL, they pulled him out and after talking to him gave him the car keys. “When I reached my car, I smelled petrol. I went to ask them what had happened. One of them hit me and threw a lighted matchstick on the vehicle and sped away,” he said. Mosin said the insurance on his car had expired three days ago.
RC Puram sub-inspector Vijay Kumar said police could not move on the case as the suspects' car did not have a registration number or a T/R number. “Since it was dark, visibility was also less. We are verifying things from other clues,” he said. Cab associations condemned the incident. “Such acts from any driver or even our members are not acceptable. We do not know if the vehicle has insurance but we will do our part to help the cab owner,” said Mr Syed Nizamuddin, president, TS Cabs & Bus Operators Association.
Cabs back on roads, Uber, Ola keep off driver talks:
Driver associations did not continue their protest on Saturday in the view of the proposed talks and most Uber and Ola cabs were back on the roads after a nine-day gap. Representatives of the two companies did not attend the meeting with cab drivers at the Khairatabad RTA office.
“Representatives from the 14 cab drivers associations and transport officials attended the meeting but no company representative took part. We have decided to postpone the talks to Monday,” an RTA official said. The police shifted Telangana Cab Drivers and Operators Association president V. Shiva, who was on a protest fast from January 4, to hospital.
