"She assaulted me first," says Rapido rider accused of slapping woman passenger in Bengaluru

Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], June 16 (ANI): The Rapido bike taxi rider seen slapping a woman passenger in a viral video from Bengaluru has claimed he reacted after being assaulted first by the passenger.
The rider, identified as Suhas, was taken into custody after the video -- showing him slapping a woman -- sparked outrage on social media. The Bengaluru police later confirmed that the incident took place on June 13 and stemmed from an argument between the two.
As the police detained Suhas, new footage surfaced showing the woman allegedly hitting him first, supporting the claim made by the rider.
Speaking to ANI on Monday, Suhas said the woman verbally abused and physically assaulted him before he retaliated. "On June 13, the woman had booked a Rapido ride. When I reached the pickup location, she asked me to stop immediately. I told her I would stop just a little ahead, but she began abusing me using derogatory language. When I tried to explain that it wasn't possible to stop right at that spot, she physically assaulted me first. Only then did I hit her back. I have also filed a complaint at the Jayanagar Police Station," he said.
Bengaluru City Police Commissioner Seemant Kumar Singh said that Suhas was taken into custody after a complaint was filed. He added that the incident had not been initially reported to police, and action was taken only after the video went viral.
"A video has gone viral showing a Rapido rider slapping a woman. A complaint has now been registered at Jayanagar Police Station. The rider has been taken into custody, and we are investigating. Since the matter wasn't reported earlier, we reached out to the woman and asked her to lodge a complaint. We will take action," Commissioner Singh told ANI.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (South Bengaluru), Lokesh B Jagalasar, said that the incident occurred around 10:00 am on June 13. The altercation allegedly started after the woman objected to unsafe driving, leading to a heated argument and the driver slapping her.
He said that the woman refused to file an FIR on the day of the incident but has come forward.
"The woman initially declined to file an FIR, but has now come forward. She had objected to the driver's riding, which led to an argument and the assault. The investigation is underway, and the accused is being questioned," Jagalasar said. (ANI)