Dubai: A taxi driver has been accused of landing a hard blow on another driver’s eye and cheek causing him a permanent disability following a road rage scuffle.

The 29-year-old Nepalese taxi driver was said to have 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 at the side of the road and went to the washroom, according to records, and 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 stepped out of his vehicle, walked towards the Pakistani driver’s taxi and opened its 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 knocked out the Pakistani driver unconscious in his taxi.

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

Prosecutors accused the Nepalese driver of beating the Pakistani driver and causing him a 10 per cent permanent disability.

The Nepalese suspect admitted that he punched the Pakistani driver when he appeared in the Dubai Court of First Instance on Sunday.

He told the presiding judge: “He is the one who assaulted me first and I acted in 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 suspect 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 told prosecutors.

A policeman testified to prosecutors that the two men assaulted each other.

A ruling in the case will be announced on July 30.