Hyderabad: A 42-year-old auto-rickshaw driver was allegedly beaten to death by three people following a dispute over a Rs 20 fare in Vattepally on Sunday evening, police said.
Based on a complaint filed by the deceased driver's daughter, Falaknuma Police registered a murder case and took two of the three accused into custody. Police said the post-mortem report is awaited to establish the cause of death.
According to police, a woman, identified as the mother of one of the accused, had hired the auto-rickshaw and was supposed to pay Rs 20. She initially gave the driver Rs 200, but he reportedly said he did not have change. The woman went to a nearby sweets shop and returned with Rs 100, but the driver again told her that he could not provide change.
An argument reportedly followed between the woman and the driver. The driver, along with his wife and daughter, then moved away from the location without collecting the fare, according to police.
The complainant later told police that her father received a call from another auto-rickshaw driver asking him to come to a nearby hotel to discuss the matter. When he reached the location, some people allegedly approached him and one of them slapped him before others joined the assault.
According to the complaint, the driver collapsed and suffered fits during the assault, but the attackers allegedly continued beating him. He subsequently became unconscious and the accused fled the spot.
The driver was taken to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared him dead on arrival.
Police have taken two suspects into custody and are investigating the role of the third accused. Further action will follow based on the investigation and post-mortem findings.
