A woman in Bengaluru was arrested after a video of her allegedly assaulting an auto-rickshaw driver with a slipper went viral on social media. The woman, identified as Pankhuri Mishra, was taken into custody after she was seen repeatedly hitting the driver, Lokesh, during a roadside altercation.
The incident occurred on Saturday, when Pankhuri, riding a two-wheeler with her husband, claimed that the auto driver had run over her foot — an allegation that Lokesh has denied.
According to reports, the argument escalated after Lokesh began recording the encounter. In the video, Pankhuri is seen striking him with her slipper while shouting, “Banaega video? Chal bana video” (Will you make a video? Go make a video).
She is also heard on a phone call stating, “He first ran over my foot and is now recording a video.” Following the incident, Pankhuri was arrested but later released on station bail.
What we know about the incident?
According to reports, the dispute began when the woman alleged that the auto driver approached from the wrong side and hit her bike. She also claimed she was pregnant and could have been seriously injured. However, the auto driver stated that the woman's bike suddenly came in front of his vehicle, and he narrowly avoided a collision.
He added that when he asked the woman's husband to drive carefully in Kannada, the woman became angry and started abusing him. The situation escalated when the auto driver began filming the incident, prompting the woman to attack him with her slipper.
Apology to the auto driver
The auto driver later reported the incident to his union, after which union members intervened. They asked the couple to apologize in front of everyone.
The woman and her husband were seen stating that they respect the Kannada language, the auto and cab drivers of Karnataka, and its people, and assured that they would not repeat such behavior in the future.
In their apology, the couple said: "We request all Kannadigas to forgive us. We respect auto drivers. We love Bengaluru. We love the atmosphere here."
Language tensions resurface
Although the confrontation appeared to stem from a road accident, the incident took a cultural turn on social media, with many pointing out the woman’s aggressive response in Hindi while the driver spoke Kannada. The episode has sparked renewed discussions around language sensitivity in Bengaluru, where Kannada pride and linguistic identity remain politically and socially charged issues.
