Navi Mumbai: A senior citizen was allegedly assaulted by drunk auto-rickshaw drivers outside his factory at CIDCO Industrial Estate, Sector 1A in Airoli. The incident came to light after a Reddit user shared a post along with CCTV footage of the episode.
The post was shared on Reddit's Mumbai community by a user named Nylon Roman, and according to the video footage, the incident occurred on March 7 at around 3.30 pm.
In the video, the elderly man is seen opening the gates of his factory when he is also seen interacting with two men. Although the entire conversation is not clearly audible, one of the men, dressed in a rickshaw driver’s uniform, appears to be heavily intoxicated based on the way he walks. He is seen shouting at the elderly man and hitting him, causing the man’s spectacles to fall. Another man, dressed in ordinary clothes, who is also claimed to be a driver, is seen verbally abusing him.
At one point in the video, the elderly man is heard saying, "Maru Nako" (Don't hit me). On this, one of the men shouts, "Hay parking tujhya babachi ahe ka?" (Is this parking owned by your father?) The video shows the elderly man running away from the two men. In the video, a group of men are seen standing at the corner, but no one comes to rescue the senior citizen.
In the Reddit post, the user also claimed that the victim had called the Senior Citizen Helpline Number and was advised to contact the Rabale Police Station. However, when he did so, an officer who spoke with him for about a minute allegedly disconnected the call without providing any further assistance.
Social Media Reaction
The Reddit post has garnered widespread reaction from users who criticised the helpline number, calling it absolute garbage.
A user said, "Our helpline numbers are a joke. They don't connect, nor is there any accountability towards correct help transfer. Absolute garbage."
"I've tried 112, 100, nothing works. God help me and my fellow local citizens," another user claimed.
"Everything works when you have the funds. If this were a politician or an actor, or a businessman, builder. They would have been caught in a day."
One user commented, saying, "We don't need a 10-minute delivery. We need the fire brigade, ambulance and police in 10 min."
