A Delhi-NCR-based lawyer, Tanya Sharma, recently encountered a distressing incident involving an Uber ride. After booking the ride, Tanya began receiving lewd and disturbing messages from the assigned driver. When she informed the driver that she'd be five minutes late, the assigned driver, Jitendra Kumar, replied, "Jaldi aao babu yaar, Man ho rha hai."
Further, when she complained about the same with Uber, the company initially came up with a 'sympathetic message', prompting her to take the matter public. The company later banned the driver from the Uber platform after facing flak over her social media post.
Lawyer Expresses Frustration Over Lewd Texts From Uber Driver
In a detailed LinkedIn post, Tanya described the ordeal: "We live in the 21st century, and still, things are so pathetic and traumatic for people daily that even an auto driver can harass you in broad daylight... in one of the poshest areas of the city. I booked an Uber, and within five minutes, I started getting disturbing texts. I canceled the booking and filed a complaint, but Uber India's grievance redressal process seems to involve sending a sympathetic message to the victim and then forgetting about it. Is this how it works?"
The incident drew widespread attention online, with many expressing outrage at the lack of swift action. Tanya later shared an update on the response she received from Uber’s grievance officer, Hemanth Kumar Chengannagari. She questioned the company's approach, asking, "What if this same thing happened to other women during these so-called 48 hours of your policy? Are you ready to take responsibility for my safety and the safety of those women out there?"
Uber Eventually Bans Driver From Platform
Under mounting pressure and criticism, Uber eventually banned the accused driver from its platform. Tanya expressed her gratitude in a follow-up post, "Thanks to everyone who supported me and shared their experiences. I’m grateful to have had people around me during this situation. Uber has now addressed the issue and banned the rider, ensuring he cannot repeat this behavior with anyone else. However, I urge everyone to escalate such matters and raise awareness about these issues."
