Man arrested over taxi driver death

The suspect was arrested late on Thursday afternoon and is being held at Gravesend police station in Kent on suspicion of murdering 71-year-old "pillar of the community" Gian Chand Bajar.

Mr Bajar, a father-of-five, was assaulted and then run over in St Benedict's Avenue, Gravesend, at 10.10pm on Wednesday in what police described as a "heinous and cowardly" crime.

Kent Police said Mr Bajar picked up a passenger at 9.43pm in Armoury Drive, Gravesend, and dropped them off at 9.57pm in Tooley Street, Gravesend. He is then believed to have been flagged down a couple of minutes later in the Springhead Road area, where he picked up a fare, and was heading to the Westcourt area of Gravesend.

Witnesses saw him being assaulted and run over in St Benedict's Avenue at 10.10pm. His silver Skoda Octavia, registration GK02 YKA, was later found burnt out in an alley adjacent to Dorchester Avenue and Lamorna Avenue.

Mr Bajar, described by police as an "upstanding member of the community", was taken to Darent Valley Hospital in Dartford, where he died from his injuries.

Mr Bajar's son, Telu Bajar, 35, said: "Dad was an honest, hard-working member of the local community in Gravesham. He sadly had his retirement cut short which deprived his family of a loving, caring father and grandfather."

Mr Bajar was semi-retired and worked just a few nights a week for Millennium Data Cabs in Gravesend.

Nirmal Thandi, co-owner of the firm, said: "You could not have met a nicer man. He was very family orientated and did a lot of work for the community. He was helping build a Sikh temple. It is just unbelievable that something like this could have happened to him. He wouldn't hurt a fly."

Mr Bajar's death has sparked anger among local cab drivers, who claim police have responded inadequately to their complaints about assaults on them. Taxi drivers will be balloted on industrial action with a view to striking next weekend if 100% of those who take part support a walkout.