A woman in Bengaluru was arrested on Sunday for allegedly assaulting an auto-rickshaw driver. The woman, Pankhuri Mishra, was arrested after a video of her hitting the driver, Lokesh, with a slipper, went viral.
The incident took place on Saturday when Pankhuri – who has now been released on station bail – was travelling on a two-wheeler with her husband. She claimed that Lokesh had run over her foot, a charge denied by the driver.
She attacked Lokesh when he began recording the incident during the argument.
“Banaega video? Chal bana video (Will you make a video? Go make a video),” she can be heard telling the driver in Hindi as she repeatedly thrashed him with her slipper.
She was then seen calling someone, saying that the driver is “misbehaving”.
“He first ran over my foot and is now recording a video,” she said during the phone call.
A #Hindi-speaking woman slapped a #Kannadiga auto driver with a slipper in #Bengaluru.
According to auto driver’s claim, “She was coming from the wrong side, but she started scolding & hitting me. Please check the nearby CCTV footage to see who is actually at fault!” he added. pic.twitter.com/bSRZV9Eg5W
— Safa 🇮🇳 (@safaspeaks) May 31, 2025
Her husband was seen sitting on the two-wheeler during the dispute, recording the incident.
Lokesh said he began recording as the woman was arguing in Hindi instead of the local language, Kannada.
After the incident, the couple were seen apologising to the auto driver and bowing at his feet.
“I apologise. I am pregnant. So, that is what I was thinking, what would happen if I had a miscarriage,” she told the driver.
Woman Who Assaulted Auto Driver in Bellandur Apologizes, Cites Pregnancy and Fear for Safety
In a recent incident that went viral across social media platforms, a woman was seen physically assaulting an auto-rickshaw driver in Bellandur, Bengaluru, drawing sharp criticism from… pic.twitter.com/5PmOfDnKZl
— Karnataka Portfolio (@karnatakaportf) June 2, 2025
Pankhuri, a resident of Bihar, also said she doesn’t have any hatred towards Kannada people.
“We love Bengaluru, we love the culture and we love the people,” she said.
