Bengaluru: Despite a massive operation by the traffic police to crack the whip on the autorickshaw drivers for overcharging and refusing to ply to passengers’ destinations, the autowallahs rule the city roads.

A city based couple was harassed by auto drivers under the Kumarswamy Layout police station limits on Monday.

The incident occurred at Yelachenahalli auto stand around 7 pm. The accused autorickshaw driver, identified as Shanker N. not only misbehaved with the woman, but also threatened her husband, identified only as Mr Kumar, with dire consequences if he is again seen in the area.

The woman, who has filed a police complaint, said that she boarded an autorickshaw from Banashankari bus station to Yelachenahalli.

While the victim was on her way home, the auto driver suddenly stopped the vehicle at Jaraganahalli bus stop and asked her to get down. When she asked him the reason for his rude behaviour, he started hurling abuses at her.

Scared that it would lead to an ugly incident, the woman immediately alerted her husband, who rushed to the spot. Her husband tried to reason with Shanker, but the other auto drivers at the bus-stand joined Shankar and threatened the victim’s husband.

“They started abusing me and my wife in Kannada. The auto driver shouted at me saying that I was an outsider and I should leave. He threatened to hit me and warned me that I would have to face dire consequences if I moved around in that area again,” said Mr Kumar.

The auto driver dared the couple to take down his vehicle number and file a complaint with the police. Then, Mr Kumar’s wife pulled the auto driver’s display card from the auto and approached Kumarswamy Layout police station.

The police registered a complaint against the accused auto-rickshaw driver, Shankar N., under Section 268 of the IPC for creating public nuisance.

Assistant Commissioner of Police (south-traffic) Dr Sowmyalatha S.K. said, “As the complaint has already been lodged in K.S. Layout (Law&Order) police station, we will look into the matter. With the help of the ID display card of the accused auto driver, the traffic police will verify whether he is a habitual offender.”