A female passenger claimed that she was physically abused by a woman with whom she was sharing a ride in Mumbai on Monday, June 25. The incident came to light after the passenger, Ushnota Paul, took to Twitter to express her disbelief over the turn of events.
In a series of tweets, Paul showed pictures of her injuries and described her harrowing experience. She also stated that she was racially abused during her Uber ride.
Paul claimed that she tried to take a picture of the woman but was unable to do so. The woman had threatened that she would break the phone. Before the woman deboarded the cab at Urmi Estate in Lower Parel, Paul alleged that she was grabbed by her hair and was even scratched on her face.
Soon after the incident, Paul filed an FIR with Lower Parel police station and said that Mumbai Police were 'very supportive.' When she contacted Uber support to seek details regarding the female passenger, she claimed that "Uber refused to give the woman's details stating "customer privacy".
Uber's response to the incident
"What's been described today is deeply upsetting and is completely against our community guidelines. The co-rider in question cannot access the app. We've reached out to law enforcement authorities to offer any information that could be helpful in their proceedings. We stand ready to support their investigation into this incident," an Uber spokesperson told International Business Times India.
Here's the series of tweets:
Hi @Uber_Support , I had the worst experience today morning. Was Uber pooling with a woman who was hostile from the very start. She started yelling at the driver saying she’s paying the “most” & still she’s getting dropped last. When I tried to intervene I was verbally abused. pic.twitter.com/4uHLUii3X7
— Ushnota Paul (@journojuno) June 25, 2018
I have a copy of the original FIR and I will not back down. Think twice before taking Uber. I am shaken and terrified with the whole experience right now. I. AM. DONE. pic.twitter.com/G9WMuhbyWc
— Ushnota Paul (@journojuno) June 25, 2018
I have a copy of the original FIR and I will not back down. Think twice before taking Uber. I am shaken and terrified with the whole experience right now. I. AM. DONE. pic.twitter.com/G9WMuhbyWc
— Ushnota Paul (@journojuno) June 25, 2018
I have been physically & verbally assaulted in broad daylight by a complete stranger. The whole back seat of @Uber is full of clumps of my hair,I have injury on my face & hands & I'm definitely psychologically scarred. I take Uber twice everyday & yet I know now that I'm not safe
— Ushnota Paul (@journojuno) June 25, 2018
I was too shocked & was crying hysterically so it didn’t even occur to me that this woman has ran away inside her office building. Went to LP police station & filed an official FIR. Mumbai Police was very supportive.
— Ushnota Paul (@journojuno) June 25, 2018
I tried to click her picture and she immediately snatched it away from me and threatened to break it. I know she would've so I didn't try clicking anymore. Before she got down from the cab,she physically attacked me,grabbed me by my hair,tore off clumps of hair, scratched my face
— Ushnota Paul (@journojuno) June 25, 2018
It was almost near Urmi Estate in Lower Parel (where her drop was) when she went completely racist and called me a “chinky” & a “chinky s**t”. I told her it’s racist to which she said “haan toh? Kya Kar legi”.
— Ushnota Paul (@journojuno) June 25, 2018
Reasoning with her was futile. She called me all sorts of names & tried to provoke me when I went completely quiet. Was reading something on my mobile & refused to give a reaction even though she went on her abusive rant calling me the worst abuses that I’m too ashamed to mention
— Ushnota Paul (@journojuno) June 25, 2018
Then she banged the hand rest on my bag kept b/w us & on my hand. And asked me to remove my “dirty things” from her. I still didn’t react. Picked the bag and put it beside the driver’s seat. I guess that must have pushed her to the edge.
— Ushnota Paul (@journojuno) June 25, 2018
