In a shocking incident that highlights growing safety concerns for women passengers in ride-sharing services, prominent environmental activist Bharati Chaturvedi was allegedly assaulted by an Uber Auto driver in South Delhi on Wednesday. The founder of nonprofit Chintan also reported that her repeated calls to the police emergency helpline number 100 went unanswered during the crisis.
The Violent Confession
Chaturvedi was traveling from Vasant Vihar to a clinic in Sarvodaya Enclave when her ordeal began. The location pin on the Uber app unexpectedly stopped working near Essex Farms, though the driver initially agreed to continue the journey without it. The situation quickly turned violent when the driver became aggressive after Chaturvedi asked him to go straight and take a U-turn.
Feeling increasingly unsafe as the driver refused to stop the vehicle, Chaturvedi made what she described as a reflexive decision to open the auto door. "I didn't know what to do at the moment... Suddenly I remembered learning four to six years ago... 'if you feel uncomfortable in a moving vehicle, open the door'," she explained to The Indian Express.
Physical Assault and System Failure
The driver reacted with immediate violence. "He turned back, and with great strength he twisted my full arm," Chaturvedi recounted. When she confronted him about his actions, the driver allegedly claimed she was creating the situation "in order not to pay."
What made the situation more alarming was the proximity to help that proved inaccessible. The area DCP's office was merely 100 meters from the incident location. Even more concerning was the complete failure of the emergency response system. Chaturvedi called police helpline 100 multiple times but received no response - sometimes being told the number was 'not available' and other times getting no answer at all.
Uber's Response and Public Reaction
Uber eventually responded to the incident by removing the driver from their platform. A company spokesperson stated: "This conduct is a clear breach of Uber's Community Guidelines, and the driver's access to the Uber app has been removed."
However, Chaturvedi criticized Uber's initial handling of the situation, noting that the company emailed her saying they would talk to the driver and "take a decision" rather than immediately ensuring her safety. "They should have called the driver and asked him to take the payment and leave the site, and got me another vehicle. What if the driver had a knife and attacked?" she questioned.
The activist later shared her experience on social media platform X, where numerous women responded with accounts of similar experiences. Chaturvedi has formally complained to Delhi Police Commissioner Satish Golcha and plans to file an FIR against both the auto driver and Uber on Thursday.
