Tried Using Safety Features But Nothing Worked, Says Journalist 'Harassed' By Uber Auto Driver

A notice has been issued by the Delhi Commission for Women to Uber India subsequent to a woman journalist alleging harassment by an Uber auto driver.

Delhi journalist accuses Uber auto driver of harassment.

Source : Getty

The Delhi Police has registered a case against the driver of a Uber auto-rickshaw who allegedly misbehaved with a woman journalist travelling in it. The police are reported to have said efforts are being made to locate and arrest the accused.

Talking to ABP Live, the victim woman said the driver made her "uncomfortable", and that the Uber 'safety feature' did not work.   

"I took an auto-rickshaw from New Friends Colony to a friend's place in Malviya nagar. During the ride, I noticed the driver was staring at me through the side mirrors, precisely at my breasts. I became uncomfortable and I shifted a bit towards the right and wasn't visible in the left side mirror. He then started looking into the right side of the mirror. I then shifted to the extreme left and wasn't visible in any of the mirrors. He then started looking back again and again..."

The woman said she tried to contact Uber support but could not do so.

"I first tried using the safety feature but to no avail. Then I tried to contact Uber's support by clicking on a number in the app, but due to network fluctuations, I was unable to connect," she added.

The woman said she even "confronted" the driver. 

"I confronted him and said that I would raise a complaint. I even asked him to focus on driving. To this, he said, 'kardo'," said the woman who works with a well known media house. "I tweeted the entire incident and got a response and support from the DCW (Delhi Commission for Women) and the media. Police are also looking into this matter seriously."

The woman said while these incidents are common "most women don't report them and if they do, they are not taken seriously".

After tweet went viral, the DCW took cognisance of the matter. The woman said she lodged both a verbal and a written complaint with the commission before approaching the police to register a complaint.

On Thursday, Swati Maliwal said in a tweet that a notice had been issued to both Uber India and the Delhi Police regarding the "unfortunate incident". She also said Uber has been aske to furnish details of the steps taken by the company towards women's safety.

दिल्ली में एक महिला पत्रकार से Uber Auto में हुई छेड़छाड़ की दुर्भाग्यपूर्ण घटना पर Uber India और दिल्ली पुलिस को नोटिस जारी किया है। महिलाओं की सुरक्षा के लिए Uber द्वारा क्या कदम उठाए जाते हैं उसकी भी जानकारी तलब की है। pic.twitter.com/LXOF8KJHZG

— Swati Maliwal (@SwatiJaiHind) March 2, 2023

Case Registered Under IPC section 509

According to an ANI report, an FIR has been registered by the police under IPC Section 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) and an investigation into the incident has been initiated by the police.

"Accordingly a case vide FIR No. 92/23 u/s 509 IPC dated 02.03.23 was registered at PS NFC and an investigation was taken up. Further ownership of the above was procured which has been found in the name of one Mohd Yunus Khan resident of A-439 Nehru Camp Govindpuri Delhi, who is being interrogated so as to nab the offender driver," the police statement read, according to the report.