VASAI: Days after a video showing an autorickshaw driver's refusal to converse in Marathi had gone viral, the driver was traced and assaulted by a group of men, allegedly from Shiv Sena (UBT), Saturday afternoon.

A case of rioting has been filed against at least eight people.The rickshaw driver, Raju Patwa who plies his vehicle from Virar (east) autorickshaw stand, had in the viral video defiantly said that he would speak only Bhojpuri and Hindi, and would not speak Marathi. The video went viral the day Maharashtra Navnirman Sena was to hold a rally in Mira Road last week.On Saturday, not only was the autorickshaw driver assaulted but he was also forced to apologise to a passenger to whom he had refused to speak Marathi.

In a fresh video of Saturday, the rickshaw driver is seen apologising for his act, hands joined, while a group of men rain blows on him.Last week, the passenger, identified only as Bhavesh, was on his way to Virar station to drop off a relative when an autorickshaw brushed past him. Bhavesh told the driver in Marathi to be careful. The rickshaw driver responded in Hindi, saying he would "not speak Marathi" but would converse only in Hindi.

Shiv Sena (UBT) neta from Vasai Virar, Uday Jadhav, who allegedly led the assault with his men, said that they had been scouting for the autorickshaw driver over the past week since the video had gone viral. "He has disrespected Marathi language [in the video]. We have now taught him a lesson... Anyone who disrespects the Marathi language will be taught a lesson in this manner.Senior inspector of Virar police station, Lalu Tare, said eight or nine have been booked for rioting and assault.