BENGALURU:
A disturbing incident of alleged discrimination has come to light in Bengaluru, where a woman from India’s Northeast claims she was verbally abused and threatened by an Uber auto driver. The woman, identified as Enn Bii, shared a video on Instagram showing the driver asking her to speak in Kannada—a language she does not understand—and attempting to hit her.
Incident occurred after ride cancellation
According to Bii, the confrontation followed a ride cancellation on October 2. She alleged that the driver did not arrive despite the Uber app indicating the vehicle had reached her location. Running late, she cancelled the ride and opted for another auto.
Shortly after, the driver, identified as Pavan HS, reportedly blocked her path, demanded money, abused her verbally, attempted to strike her, and even recorded videos of her, Bii alleged.
Language barrier adds to the ordeal
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The video shared on Instagram showed the driver repeatedly speaking to her in Kannada despite her explaining that she did not understand the language.
“He’s abusing me like this because I’m from the Northeast,” Bii said in the video. At one point, she is seen noting down the auto’s registration number while the driver tried to hit her. “He’s trying to hit me,” she cried out.
She later posted on Instagram, expressing fear for safety:
“We are not even safe in our own country.”
Authorities and Uber respond
The Bengaluru City Police have reached out to Bii for more details, seeking the incident’s location and her contact information to investigate further.
Uber has described the incident as “extremely concerning” and confirmed that the driver’s access to the app has been revoked immediately.
“What has been described is unfortunate and has no place on the Uber platform. Based on the rider’s feedback, the driver’s access to the Uber app was revoked with immediate effect. We continue to support the law enforcement authorities with all relevant information,” said a company spokesperson.
The case has drawn attention to the broader issue of discrimination faced by people from India’s Northeast, highlighting the need for awareness and stricter safeguards for passengers.