Protesting against the alleged murder of one of their colleagues, Ola drivers on Monday blocked the Delhi-Gurugram highway and clashed with police.
The protest turned ugly when the police attempted to disperse the angry drivers, but the agitators, in return, started pelting stones at the police. Later, the police lathi-charged the drivers to dispel them from the expressway.
Two days ago, an Ola cab driver, identified as Harinarayan, went missing after he went to pick up a customer. Yesterday evening, he was found dead with a strangled throat.
When the relatives tried to contact private cab service Ola, the company refused to accept Harinarayan as one of their drivers. Angered by the company's alleged indifference, the Ola drivers and the deceased's relatives protested at the Delhi Gururgam border.
"My husband went for Ola duty on March 23 from sector 28 of Noida. When I tried to contact him in the evening, his phone was switched off. When he was found dead, Ola refused to recognise him as their driver," the deceased's wife said.
Gurugram Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Sumit Kuhad informed that the situation on the expressway has been taken under control and the highway has started functioning again.
"From initial reports, I have come to know that an Ola driver met with an accident after which his relatives had an argument with the company. They attempted to bring his dead body on the Delhi-Gurugram expressway. The police were already present here and controlled the situation," the DCP said.