Pardeep Singh, a 25-year-old Indian taxi driver in Australia, was assaulted by two passengers who also racially abused him, media reports said.
The incident with Singh, who is studying hospitality in the country, occurred at the Sandy Bay McDonald's drive-through in Australia's island state of Tasmania on Saturday night.
Singh said he was attacked when he asked his passenger to step outside the cab because she was going to vomit, The Mercury reported.
"If you mess up the car you have to pay a cleaning fee," Singh told the passengers. Singh alleged the woman passenger abused him and refused to pay for any damage done. The couple then physically assaulted him.
"They punched me too many times and kicked me," Singh said. "[They said] 'You f…..g Indians deserve this'."
See also: Indian-origin cab driver attacked, racially abused in Hobart
Singh was admitted to the Royal Hobart Hospital. Inspector Ian Whish-Wilson said a man and a woman have been charged in relation to the assault on Singh. They will appear in the Hobart Magistrates Court on June 26.
"It is alleged that the driver asked the passengers to leave his taxi after one of them was sick," Wilson said. "There was a dispute over payment and it is alleged the passengers assaulted the driver and damaged the vehicle. It was alleged a racial comment was made during the assault but it does not appear that the incident was racially motivated," he added.
