KOLKATA: An auto driver hit a young woman passenger with an iron rod following a dispute over fare in front of Quest Mall in Beckbagan on Monday afternoon. Mohd Amir Ali, 25, was nabbed and handed over to police, who slapped stringent attempt to murder charges against him.

The passenger, 27-year-old marketing executive Mousumi Khumbakar, has received four stitches.

The latest incident of auto menace comes despite promises by transport minister Madan Mitra to rein in rogue auto drivers. Last week, another woman passenger was punched in the face by an auto driver at Behala over small change.

Mousumi, the eldest among three sisters and a brother, wondered why women were being targeted in the city. "My father retired from Kolkata Police recently. My uncle is still with Kolkata Police. If I don't feel safe while going out, I wonder who will," she said.

According to Mousumi, she and her friend Raje Ahmed went to Quest Mall on Monday. "We had heard about the Quest Mall but did not know the exact location. We took an Esplanade-Park Circus auto from Sudder Street around 2pm and the driver said the fare to Beckbagan crossing would be Rs 24 for both," she said.

On reaching Park Circus, they requested the driver to drop them at Quest Mall since they didn't know the way. "By then, we had already handed over Rs 20 to the driver. The driver told the mall was a long way off and we would have to pay another Rs 30. We were stunned when we reached the mall in a minute or two and asked the driver not to charge so much," Mousumi said.

The driver flared up and refused to accept anything less than Rs 54. "Since we did not want to prolong the argument, we gave paid him another Rs 30 and requested him to forego Rs 4. The driver started threatening us with dire consequences and said he would not compromise even a rupee," the victim said.

By then, a crowd gathered around the auto. "I then gave another Rs 10 to the driver, but to my shock he tried to drive away without returning the Rs 6 change. I asked him to return the money. The driver abused us, threw a coin at us and shoved my friend," said Mousumi.

"I protested and asked him not to behave like a ruffian. To my dismay, he turned around, started abusing me and threatened me saying I had no idea how far he could go. He suddenly wrenched off an iron rod from his vehicle and hit me. As blood oozed out and I collapsed, people rushed in," Mousumi said.

As the driver tried to get away, locals nabbed him and handed him over to police.