Thane: An auto rickshaw driver guilty of assaulting a passenger in 2011 was sentenced to six-month rigorous imprisonment by a court here. Thane Chief Judicial Magistrate R M Kulkarni convicted Mumtajim Yusuf Saha (42) under section 326 of the IPC and imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 on him, of which Rs 7500 shall be paid to the victim Sharad Mohan Jamsandekar (37) as per court orders.
Assistant Public Prosecutor E B Dhamal told the court that the victim worked as a Book Fair Executive. It was on February 11, 2011 after finishing the book fair at the DAV Public School, Tulsi Dham that he was returning towards Thane station when the incident occurred.
When he was standing on the road opposite to Hanuman temple at the Golden Chemical Junction here, he saw a rickshaw with two passengers onboard. He requested the duo to allow him to get in, to go towards Thane railway station as he was in a hurry. The accused asked him to get down stating that it was not a shared rickshaw and despite request by the two co-passengers to accommodate the victim the rickshaw driver picked up a quarrel and later attacked the victim with a stick badly injuring him.
The victim told the court that he was not aware that it was not a shared rickshaw. After the assault, Sharad fell unconscious and was rushed to a nearby hospital following which the driver was arrested.
