Mumbai driver refuses to ‘donate’ Rs 20 at dhaba; dragged, assaulted with belts, sticks, doused with petrol

PALGHAR: As many as 10 men thrashed a tempo driver from Nalasopara and doused him with petrol after he refused to pay Rs 20 ‘donation' to the owner of an illegal dhaba at Wadakhadkona in Manor on Saturday night. The victim's friend, who was driving another tempo, was also assaulted when he tried to save him.

Manor police arrested the dhaba owner, Vinod Singh, and three of his staff members and booked them for attempted murder under the BNS. Kumar Sushant, holding the charge of Manor police station, said they are trying to identify and trace the remaining accused.

On Saturday morning, Danish Khan loaded material in his tempo from Taloja in Navi Mumbai for delivery in Ankleshwar in Gujarat. Around afternoon, he stopped at a Naigaon petrol pump where he met his friend, who was also heading to Gujarat to deliver goods.

Around 6pm, the duo took a break at Jai Ambe Dhaba at Wadakhadkona. After visiting the washroom, Khan was not able to find his tempo keys. He enquired with Singh, who was at the cash counter. Singh gave Khan his vehicle keys and demanded that he put Rs 20 in the donation box on the counter.

In his complaint, Khan said that when he refused as he didn't have any change on him, the dhaba owner hurled abuses at him and rained blows on him. Immediately, eight to 10 of his staff members joined in. Khan claimed that he was dragged into another room behind the counter where he was assaulted with belts and sticks and one of the staffers doused him in petrol.

Khan said he then fell unconscious and does not remember what happened thereafter. He regained consciousness only in hospital, where he was treated for injuries on his face, head, chest, back, and hands, said a police source.