Chennai man torches e-scooter, seeks justice for bike-related problems

Chennai: Infuriated over escalating cost of repairs and faults that kept cropping up, a 38-year-old man from Thirumullaivayal here torched his electric scooter in Ambattur, much to the shock of onlookers.

The man, identified as Parthasarathy, a collection agent, claimed that he resorted to this “extreme measure in front of the company’s showroom hoping to get justice.”

The recent incident of the man pouring petrol over the scooter and burning it went viral. The staff from the showroom tried to pacify him saying the problems he had raised would be looked into.

They assured him that the matter would be addressed immediately. The vehicle was taken for an inspection to assess the damage.

As he remained unrelenting, the police were alerted and the flames were put off. Police, and passers by who had gathered, were shocked to learn that the vehicle was set afire by the owner citing some unaddressed grievances concerning his scooter.

Parthasarathy was later let off by the police with a stern warning.

He claimed that the problems with his scooter began a month after he purchased it three years ago for Rs 1.8 lakh and he had to frequently return to the dealer for repairs.

"They have asked me to replace the bearings for every 5,000 km and kept postponing service, citing non-availability of spares," he alleged. He got frustrated after he was asked to replace both the brake pads, wheel bearings and the belt, Parthasarathy said.

On an average he had spent Rs 5,000 every month for servicing or replacing spare parts and over a period of time, the cumulative cost exceeded the scooter's original price, he claimed.

A representative at the showroom who did not want to be named said Parthasarathy's case “appeared to be an isolated one” and that it was not proper for anyone to indulge in attempts to tarnish the brand’s image.