Bengaluru Rapido auto-rickshaw driver attempts to steal money from customer's purse, viral video sparks outrage: ‘He should be punished'

A video of a woman confronting a Rapido auto-rickshaw driver after he attempted to steal money from her purse has sparked outrage on social media. Janhavi Kshatriyas, a model and fashion designer, shared the video on her Instagram, sharing details of the incident.
In a lengthy post, Kshatriyas shared that the auto-rickshaw driver kept looking at her through the rear-view camera during the ride. When asked if she could pay him before the ride ended, as her mobile phone's battery was about to run out, he agreed. Things turned suspicious when he commented on her religion. 'When we passed a Hanuman big statue and I instinctively folded my hands in prayer, he asked in a mocking tone: 'Oh, you pray? Are you Hindu?' I replied yes, and he retorted, 'You don't look like one.' I stayed calm, though that comment crossed a line,' she wrote.
Further, Kshatriyas asked the auto-rickshaw driver to stop at a local shop as she had to buy coffee powder. When she returned from the shop, she saw the driver unzipping her handbag in an attempt to steal. 'I caught the driver red-handed trying to open the front zip of my handbag. My money was stuck in the zip, and he was struggling to take it out. He didn't realize I was standing right behind him, watching everything,' she said.
'When I confronted him, he nervously claimed he was 'trying to move the bag behind to keep it safe' and even tried to blame a random girl nearby for trying to steal it – despite the fact that I saw him with my own eyes. I even asked the girl to confirm and explained everything to her in public,' Kshatriyas shared.
Along with the post, she shared a video revealing the driver's identity and his vehicle number.
Watch the video here:
A post shared by Janhavi Kshatriyas⚔️ (@janhavi_jaan_official)
After the video went viral, Rapido issued an apology, promising to investigate the matter. 'Hi Janhavi, we sincerely apologize on behalf of the captain for his irresponsible behavior. This is certainly not the kind of experience we strive to provide. At Rapido, customer safety is our highest priority, and we have a zero-tolerance policy toward any form of inappropriate conduct. We kindly request your patience as we investigate this matter thoroughly and provide further assistance regarding this,' the company responded.
Several social media users condemned the incident, demanding strict action against the driver. 'He should be punished,' a user wrote. 'Government should take action on auto drivers they are creating ruscus in city,' another user commented.

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