Two Bangladeshi students of India’s LD Engineering College Navrangpura, on Thursday morning, filed a police complaint alleging that they were assaulted by three autorickshaw drivers at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International (SVPI) airport because they booked a cab instead of hiring an autorickshaw.
According to the complaint filed at the Airport police station, the Bangladeshi students Aditya Dey and Sourav Kumar, went to the international terminal of SVPI airport to receive a student from Zambia, Justin Kangwa.
They got to the airport at about 3am and waited for Kangwa's flight, which landed at about 4am.
In the meantime, they checked the availability of cabs to get back to their hostel on the LD Engineering College campus.
Three autorickshaw drivers came up to them and asked them why they were booking a cab when rickshaws were available. Dey said they avoided a confrontation with the drivers and tried to leave with Kangwa.
One autorickshaw driver began arguing with them. He and the others then allegedly assaulted Dey and Kumar. Dey said the accused broke his spectacles and threatened them. After airport security guards intervened, the three students were able to leave.
Dey later submitted an application at the Airport police station, which, as of Thursday evening, had not been converted into an FIR.
A security guard at the airport said they keep a special watch on autorickshaw and taxi drivers after they received reports of passengers being overcharged, especially from the international terminal.
"The airport operator does not tolerate any unlawful activity at the airport. The miscreants have been identified stringent actions are being taken against them," an SVPI spokesperson said.
"Moreover, the airport operator is also filing a police complaint against individuals involved in such activities. At Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, our teams are committed to prioritizing the safety of our passengers, while ensuring a secure and efficient air hub in Ahmedabad," the spokesperson said.
