Ola driver found dead in car was made to do sit-ups

Hyderabad: The 44 year-old Ola cab driver, Neelam Kumar, who was found dead in his car on Friday, was allegedly assaulted and made to do sit ups by two people following a minor accident a day before his death.

According Ramgopalpet police, Neelam was allegedly assaulted and humiliated by a 26-year-old businessman named Y. Kiran Kumar, who is a resident of ECIL, and his friend Sai Krishna.

“On Thursday, somewhere in Ameerpet, when Neelam was taking a reverse, his vehicle dashed against Kiran Kumar’s Hyundai Accent car, which sustained a minor damage. Kiran Kumar got into an argument with Neelam and took him to the Hyundai showroom at Begumpet to know the cost of the damage. He demanded some Rs 5,000 for the repair works. When Neelam said he did not have money, Kiran and his friend, who arrived there later, took his driver’s licence away and made him do sit-ups,” said Muralee Krishna, Inspector of Ramgopalpet.

The CCTV footages from the Hundai showroom showed Neelam performing  a dozen sit ups in front of others. The next day, because he did not get his licence back, Neelam lodged a complaint with Ramgopalpet police, but cops arrested Kiran Kumar only after Neelam’s death. The second accused is absconding.

On Friday afternoon, Bowenpally police had found an unconscious Neelam Kumar in his parked car near Imperial Gardens in Secunderabad.  When the police took him to Gandhi Hospital, doctors declared him dead. Bowenpally police registered a case of suspicious death and handed over the body to the relatives after post-mortem. After autopsy, the forensic doctors said there was no external injury and added that the cause of death can only be confirmed after a forensic report.

Cops are now trying to verify the connection between the assault and his death. The victim’s relatives have alleged that he died because of the assault and humiliation.