Post News Network
Puri, June 5: Fighting and fisticuffs leading to violence over picking up passengers from Medical Square auto stand has become a cause of concern owing to extortions by criminals.
It was learnt that the anti-social elements are allowing the auto drivers to pick up their passengers only after they agreed to their demands.
Though five incidents of assault and hacking have occurred in the last three months, the police have turned a blind eye to it, sources said.
Dilip Mohapatra, an auto driver, was assaulted by a local ruffian as he could not give extortion money Wednesday. “After dropping passengers at Gundicha Temple, I stopped at Medical Square as two commuters wanted to go Srimandir. However, a youth insisted that I pay `20 to take the passengers from that spot. Though I agreed to pay, the youth abused me and hit on my head with an iron rod as I could not pay the money immediately as I did not have change,” Dilip said. He was admitted to the district headquarters hospital.
Another auto driver, requesting anonymity, said criminals are ruling the roost at auto stands. “Our livelihood is dependent on them. They are assaulting auto drivers at will,” he said.
When asked, inspector Khireshwar Sahu said he had received complaints and would act against the miscreants.
