BHOPAL: Three private ambulance drivers allegedly threatened another driver to pay an extortion amount of Rs 10,000 in Koh-e-Fiza for allegedly taking passengers out of turn.
The accused pointed a knife at him and when he fled, they torched his ambulance early on Tuesday morning. Investigating officer SI VK Pandey said that the complainant Abid Ali, 26, stays in Ashoka Garden locality and runs a private ambulance for living.
Abid alleged that around 3 am on Tuesday, when he had gone to park his ambulance in the parking lot of Hamidia hospital, the accused trio Danish, Sajid alias Munnu and one of his accomplice, who also works as ambulance driver, stopped him while he was leaving. The accused started shouting on Abid that he was running his ambulance jumping the turn arrangement.
The accused pressurised him to pay Rs 10,000 for jumping the queue and cautioned him not to repeat it. During the arguments, one of the accused took out a sharp-edged weapon from his pocket and charged towards Abid.
“Abid somehow managed to run away, but the accused vandalised his ambulance and subsequently set it ablaze,” said Pandey, adding that Abid approached police soon after the incident.
A case under section 327 (voluntary causing hurt to extort property) and 435 (mischief by fire or intent to cause damage) of IPC was registered against the accused. Abid told police that he always took the patients as per his turn. Further investigations were on.
