Kolkata: The young woman at the center of a confrontation with an app biker in New Town has appealed for an end to what she called a relentless social media witch hunt. She stated that she had accepted responsibility but could not understand why a momentary lapse had cost her her job, peace, and personal safety.
“Yes, I made a mistake. I admit it. But can the punishment for that really be losing my job?” she said on Friday, adding: “I apologised to the rider. I apologised to cops. I apologised when people came to my house. How much more do people want?”
The controversy began after a video showing her verbally abusing the biker went viral earlier this week. The rider had confronted her over allegedly booking two rides at the same time and cancelling his trip. The clip drew widespread outrage, with many condemning her conduct.
But the criticism, she said, quickly escalated into harassment, including abusive calls, threats, circulation of her personal details, and demonstrations outside her home.
“The boy has gone back to his normal life. He is earning his livelihood and driving every day. But I cannot leave my house. I cannot even walk around my neighbourhood because people keep making nasty comments and threatening me,” the woman said. On Tuesday, she was fired from her job over concerns after the video surfaced. She had worked there for eight months.
While she said the company had the right to take that decision, she questioned the wider campaign against her. “If the company has decided to dismiss me for its reputation, I can accept that. People seem happy that I lost my job. Now, some are trying to ensure I never get another one. They are sharing my details, calling up me and my friends, abusing us, and demanding that landlords refuse to rent homes to me. Where am I supposed to go?” she asked.
She also pointed to what she described as a double standard in the outrage. “If my job can be taken away because I used abusive language, then what about all those people who are abusing me every day?” she said.
Giving her account of the incident, she claimed she had cancelled a booking before the confrontation and that the rider questioned her after she reached the pick-up point. She said she lost her temper after being repeatedly challenged. “I became agitated and said some abusive words. That was wrong. I accept that,” she said.
She claimed the issue was later settled with the rider, who had stated so in another video. Appealing for closure, she said, “I need the job to sustain my education. Please let it stop here. Please don’t take it any further.”
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About the Author
Tamaghna Banerjee
Tamaghna Banerjee, a reporter from Kolkata, covers crime, aviation, human rights and politics. He has a keen interest in human interest and rural reporting. He has done his postgraduation in journalism and mass communication. He has a total of 14 years in journalism.
