Padubidri: Slapped by woman, auto driver dies on way to hospital

Padubidri: The Padubidri police, on Wednesday registered a case into the death of a 45-year-old auto rickshaw driver, who is said to have died shortly after being slapped publicly by a woman for alleged harassment near Padubidri bus stand here.

The deceased, identified as Dinesh Sanil Manampady used to operate his auto in and around Mulky.

The woman, Zeenat has alleged that Dinesh used to call and harass her repeatedly and hence she had decided to confront him. Accordingly, she called him to meet at the Padubidri bus stand here on November 7  at around 10.30 am. When Dinesh arrived here, Zeenat who was accompanied by her father is said to have slapped him publicly and later, they took Dinesh in an autorickshaw to the police station.

On the way to the station, Dinesh developed chest pain and was thus rushed to a nearby hospital. However doctors declared him as brought dead, the police said. 

A complaint has been filed by Dinesh’s brother Suresh asking the police to find out whether Sanil died following an assault by the woman or because of his health problem. 

A case has been registered under Section 174 (Police to inquire and report on deaths under suspicious circumstances) of the Criminal Procedure Code.