Driver knocked out in Dubai taxi queue fight

Dubai: A taxi driver has been convicted of punching another driver in the eye and cheek causing him a permanent disability following a road rage scuffle.

The 29-year-old Nepalese taxi driver refused to give way to the 26-year-old Pakistani driver when the latter tried to slot his car into a queue of taxis at Dubai Marina in February.

The 26-year-old driver had parked his taxi on the side of the road and went to the washroom but when he returned to his car, the Nepalese driver blocked his way and did not allow him to move in to the queue of other lined-up taxis.

When the Pakistani driver asked the Nepalese to give him way, the latter refused and rudely moved his car quickly into the queue disallowing the Pakistani driver to drive into the taxis’ line-up.

Then the Nepalese man jumped out of his vehicle, headed to the Pakistani driver’s taxi and opened the door forcibly.

When the Pakistani driver tried to hold the door tight and push away the Nepalese driver, the latter landed a hard blow on his eye and cheek, which made the Pakistani driver lose consciousness in his taxi.

Medical reports confirmed that the Pakistani sustained a serious bruise in his eye and cheek and a constant sinus infection.

Citing grounds of leniency, the Dubai Court of First Instance handed the Nepalese driver a three-month suspended jail sentence for beating the Pakistani driver and causing him a 10 per cent permanent disability.

The defendant admitted that he punched the Pakistani driver but maintained that it was an act of self-defence.

The Pakistani driver told prosecutors that the incident occurred at 9.30pm.

“I went to the washroom and when I returned to my taxi, the accused refused to give me way. Then he blocked my way … he jumped out of his car and came towards me. He punched me strongly as I tried to prevent him from opening my door. I sustained an eye injury and a fractured skull. He also injured his hand when he punched me. I fainted and only regained my consciousness in the ambulance … then we were taken to the police station and later to the hospital,” he said.

A policeman testified that the two men assaulted each other.

The defendant has already appealed his primary judgement.