R Muthuraj, an auto driver from Bengaluru, recently found himself in the spotlight after being arrested for slapping a woman and hurling verbal abuses at her during an altercation. Though he apologized for his behavior, including snatching the woman’s phone and using abusive language, his life has taken a steep downward turn.
He has been banned from all ride-hailing platforms like Ola and Uber, leaving him without a definite source of income, reported News18.
“In these years, I have driven autos for Ola, Uber and Rapido. Look at my ratings. The customers have given me five-star ratings. They gave it to me because I am a good driver. But after the incident, Ola and Uber banned me,” he said.
In addition to this, he claimed that he has been receiving phone calls from people threatening to “finish” him.
“I have received threatening calls from people who said they would finish me,” he alleged.
Recounting the incident, R Muthuraj shared, “She said she was coming in two minutes and asked me to wait. Two women climbed down from a building after five minutes. I saw them getting into an auto. I called them, and they disconnected the call and cancelled the ride.”
While it’s essential that Muthuraj be held accountable for his actions, an important question arises: should a person lose their livelihood over one mistake, especially if they are willing to acknowledge their wrongdoing and apologize?
Muthuraj admitted his fault and expressed regret for his behavior. Yet, the consequences he now faces extend beyond legal punishment—he has been blacklisted by companies that were his primary source of income. On top of that, he claims to have received threats. Thus, the circle of violence continues. Is this a fair way to handle the aftermath of his actions?
Yes, Muthuraj’s behavior was wrong, and he needed to be reprimanded, but should there not be room for rehabilitation?
Perhaps the companies could have offered mandatory counselling and a probationary period instead of permanently cutting him off. Losing one’s means of livelihood can lead to worse outcomes. The person involved is further pushed into anger, frustration, or desperation.
Rather than completely banning drivers like Muthuraj, why not consider a more balanced and humane approach? After all, isn’t society about learning from our mistakes and striving to improve?