Bengaluru man gets 'death threats' for booking cab, not auto

Bengaluru man gets 'death threats' for booking cab, not auto
07 Apr 2025

A local commuter in Bengaluru has alleged that he was harassed by auto-rickshaw drivers because he booked a bike taxi through a ride-hailing app.

In a post on Reddit, he alleged that the nightmare started when he tried to book a two-wheeler cab through a mobile app after alighting from a metro train.

Before he could finalize the booking, a nearby auto-rickshaw driver said in a threatening tone, "Don't book that! I will drop you; come with me!"

Aggressive auto-rickshaw drivers threaten man
Escalation

However, the man continued with his booking through the app, brushing aside the unsolicited demand.

When the bike taxi arrived, the man hopped on without a second thought. As soon as he hopped on, auto-rickshaw drivers nearby reacted aggressively.

They shouted threatening remarks, expressing disbelief and anger that he chose the bike taxi over their autos.

The situation escalated further when he responded with a rude hand gesture, which only intensified their hostility.

Man surrounded by aggressive auto-rickshaw drivers
Mob intimidation

Things worsened from then on as the same auto-rickshaw driver who had first confronted him overtook the bike taxi and forced it to halt.

Shortly after, seven to eight auto-rickshaw drivers and some men on scooters surrounded him and threatened him with lines like, "We'll chop your hand off!" "If we choose to, we can ruin your life!" and, "You won't be able to walk freely in this city again!"

Police response raises concerns
Questionable intervention

Trying to defuse the situation, the man called emergency helpline 112, but when police arrived, they admonished him for gesturing obscenely instead of the mob's violent behavior.

According to his post, the officer appeared to know the rowdy bunch and casually asked them to let him go before giving some disturbing advice: "Hit him and send him off."