Don't want to ruin anyone's career, ready to compromise, says Lucknow girl after cab driver's FIR

In an exclusive interview with Zee Media, the Lucknow girl said that it is better the issue is resolved through conciliation without escalating it further.

Zee Media Bureau, Aug 10, 2021, New Delhi: The Lucknow girl, who has been in the limelight for hitting a cab driver, has now said that she is ready to compromise and doesn't want to ruin anyone's career. Her statement came after the Uttar Pradesh police filed an FIR against her. 

In an exclusive interview with Zee Media, Priyadarshini Narayan said that it is better the issue is resolved through conciliation without escalating it further.

Priyadarshini added that she is also afraid of her career being ruined.

"I also have to save an innocent person. He (driver) is also someone's child and I want to do this for their sake," she said.

On being asked why she didn't file a cross FIR, Priyadarshini answered that she didn't do it because the cab driver is poor and that he might not have family support.

Earlier on Saturday, the Uttar Pradesh police had questioned her and had also reportedly talked to her neighbours. 

 

Priyadarshini came in the news after her videos of repeatedly slapping a cab driver on a red light in Lucknow went viral. She alleged that she was almost run over by the driver. However, the driver, Shahadat Ali, said that the woman attacked him for no fault of his. 

"I was on my way home and waiting at the signal of Alambagh Nahariya Chauraha, following the traffic rules. The woman crossed me from the right side and then she came back and started beating me," Shaddat had said in an interview with Zee Media. 

The issue had escalated further after the police took Shaddat to the police station and registered a complaint based on the woman's version, while he was not heard. 

This is why the cab driver didn’t hit back when he was beaten up by Lucknow girl

Zee Media Bureau, Aug 5, 2021, New Delhi: The video from a busy traffic light in Lucknow that shows a woman repeatedly slapping a cab driver, continues to grab eyeballs. Now, both the girl and the driver have been giving interviews to different media houses and sharing their versions. In one such conversations with The Lallantop, the driver Shahadat Ali has explained why he didn’t resort to violence after being slapped.

He said, “In my house, my parents haven’t taught me to hit a woman. I am from a very good family. I am taught to never hit a lady by my mother. The heaven is in mother’s feet, even you know that.”

He went on to explain the incident in detail in a previous conversation with Zee News Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand.

He said, “She broke my mobile, which is my employer's. My car was damaged too, I suffered a loss of around Rs 60,000."

The girl, however, has a different version to tell. She said that she has been suffering from several diseases and has been harassed by a group of eve-teasers for two years.

The incident took place on July 31 at a busy crossroad in Lucknow. The internet demanded the girl’s arrest when a video went viral that showed her mercilessly beating up the cab driver. Later, the police registered a complaint against the girl.

Initially, the police booked the driver in several cases but he was released later.

Zee Media Bureau, Aug 4, 2021, New Delhi:  Recently, a video went viral in which a young girl is repeatedly slapping a cab driver at a busy crossroad in Lucknow. The drama was enhanced because the cab driver was not retaliating and a traffic cop was also standing nearby.

Then another video surfaced in which the same girl was seen grabbing another guy by his shirt. Soon after, the social media started demanding her arrest for callous behavior.

Now, she is saying that she was being harassed for two years before the incident in a conversation with a Zee Salaam journalist. She showed scars on her leg and hand, and said that she has been beaten.

She said that she saw a vehicle approaching that had modified lights, and got scared of the accident. She alleged that the vehicle had broken the signal and speeding.

She also claimed that some people had come in the form of a mob and beat her up. On being asked to be specific, she remained vague and said that there were at least 300 people who dragged and beat her up.

She further alleged that a group of eve-teasers has been harassing her for two years, especially when she went out for a walk, and she has been suffering from multiple diseases.

When the incident that took place on July 31, came to light, the Lucknow Police booked the cab driver and arrested him. Later, after the social media uproar, the girl was also booked. In his complaint, the cab driver has said that the woman slapped her without any reason in full public view and also broke his phone. He also alleged a robbery of Rs 600 from his car.

Zee Media Bureau, Aug 4, 2021, New Delhi: A day after booking three men for breach of peace in connection with the road rage incident on July 31 in which a girl was seen slapping a cab driver, Lucknow police on Tuesday registered a case against the woman too. The incident, which has left the entire nation surprised, brought the Lucknow police under heavy criticism on social media after it booked the driver and took it into custody. The girl, who slapped the cab driver at least 20 times, had claimed that he was driving the vehicle at a very high speed and she had narrowly skipped being run over by the car. 

Here's everything we know about the woman who was seen mercilessly slapping the cabbie on the busy Awadh Street in the Uttar Pradesh capital city. 

The girl in the clip has been identified as Priyadarshini. 

She is a resident of Kesari Kheda in Krishna Nagar. 

She has been booked by the police under charges of committing or attempting to commit robbery, causing hurt and loss.  

In his complaint, the driver, identified as Shahadat alleged that the woman slapped her for none of his fault in full public view, breaking his phone and catching him by collar. He also alleged that she looted Rs 600 which he had put in the dashboard of the car. 

In the video, the bespectacled woman, dressed in a white t-shirt and jeans and sports shoes, was seen crossing a street at a zebra crossing at Awadh Crossing and stopped in front of a cab. She proceeds to open the cab driver`s door and drags him out and starts slapping and hitting him pulling him by the collar. The driver can be seen requesting bystanders to call policewomen to the scene. "Aaplog mahila police bulaye, " he is heard saying in the video.

The woman continues assaulting him repeatedly and at one point is seen flinging the phone of the cabbie, which had fallen on the ground. A bystander who attempts to intervene also gets a slap from the woman.

In between the video also shows a traffic policeman intervening and separating the woman from the cabbie and escorting them to the side of the road but after a short while the woman again corners the man and starts hitting him.

Meanwhile, the cab driver identified as Sadat Ali Siddiqui said that after the incident police took both him and the woman to the police station but the police filed a case against him based on her complaint. "Police did not even take my complaint and kept me inside lockup for 24 hours," he added.

The cab driver's lawyer said that when his client's brother came to know about the incident, he along with some friends arrived at the police station and managed to get his brother released on a personal bond. "The police made them sit in the police station forcibly and also challaned the driver," the lawyer said.

Taking action on the complaint a case was registered against the woman in Krishna Nagar police station," the lawyer said adding that they have also asked the police to take action taken against cops who did nothing at the time of the incident and registered a case against the cab driver.

On Twitter, the video generated outrage with users expressing their ire.One Twitter user posted: "First of all how can she cross the road when vehicles are moving? Isn't that her fault and how can the police allow this ? And pls support students too #ArrestLucknowGirl"

Another microblogger said: "See was trying to suiC/ide...she came in front of moving traffic.. if cab driver wouldn't control he was gone for killing chanrges.. girl should be given tough lesson."

A few people also asked that the girl be shown no leniency because of her gender. One person tweeted: "Hope there is no leniency shown because of gender. This was an unwarranted, unprovoked act. Kudos to the guy for showing restraint. That must have been very hard."