Environmental activist Bharati Chaturvedi has alleged that an Uber driver assaulted her during a ride in Delhi. She claimed that the driver not only “yelled” at her but also “twisted her arm” after she asked him to stop the vehicle. She claimed that repeated calls to the police emergency helpline went unanswered, and when she contacted Uber Safety, she was told to dial 100 again – leaving her without assistance.

‘Uber driver yelled, twisted my arm’

Sharing her ordeal on X (formerly Twitter), she wrote, “Dear women of Delhi, I took an Uber from Vasant Vihar to Sarvodaya Enclave to the doc. The pin stopped near Essex farms, and the driver agreed to drop me minus the pin.”

The ride seemed normal, but the driver soon became agitated and aggressive. “But began getting irritated and yelling, and suddenly turned while I asked him to go straight for a U-turn.”  

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Taken aback by the sudden change in the driver’s behaviour, Chaturvedi asked the driver to stop the car. That’s when, she alleged, things escalated.

“Asked him to stop, and he refused. I opened the cab door to make him stop. He turned around, grabbed my arm and twisted it,” she further said, before adding, “Called 100 but no response. Called Uber Safety and was asked to call 100. Also, Sanjana said will involve the entire team to assess action. Outrageous.”

Frustrated by the lack of response from emergency services, she questioned Delhi Police about how women should contact cops in such circumstances. “Delhi Police, how do women contact you when in need?”

Towards the end of her post, she also mentioned that the driver refused to take payment after the incident.

Speaking to The Indian Express, she explained that the driver’s behaviour made her feel unsafe, prompting her to instinctively open the 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 further told IE.

She later learnt that the DCP’s office was only about 100 metres away. “If I knew, I would have walked there and complained.”

Complaint filed with Police Commissioner

Chaturvedi also told IE that she plans to file an FIR against both the cab driver and Uber on Thursday. The activist has sent a detailed complaint by email to Delhi Police Commissioner Satish Golcha by email, IE reported. 

She tagged it as a “failure of the emergency-response system” that led to the “first physical assault she has ever experienced in her life”. 

“The failure of the emergency-response system was far more unsettling,” she expressed in the email, before adding, “I called 100 multiple times… I was informed that the number was ‘not available’… On another attempt, no one answered at all.”

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DCP (South) Ankit Chauhan replied to Chaturvedi’s post on X and assured her that the police are inquiring into the matter. “The matter has been duly taken into cognisance and is being inquired into… Appropriate legal action shall be initiated based on the findings.”

‘Absolutely condone such behaviour,’ says Uber

Uber responded to her social media post, saying that such behaviour is not condoned and that customer safety is a top priority. “This is very concerning. Behaviour like this is absolutely not condoned, and your safety shall always remain a priority,” Uber’s reply to her post on X read.

In response, Chaturvedi said that the safety team at the company had not acted promptly. “I called your safety team. They had my details. Sanjana is planning a meeting, brainstorming, deciding if it’s bad enough or not and has assured me Uber cares for my safety. Pls coordinate internally or let me know if you would like me to send you my details again,” she responded.

According to IE, Uber later emailed her stating the company would decide on action after speaking to the driver.

Chaturvedi has criticised the delay, saying Uber should have immediately ensured 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 said. The founder of the nonprofit Chintan added that Uber doesn’t have a “system” or “accountability”.

A company spokesperson later confirmed that the driver’s access to the app had been removed. “This conduct is a clear breach of Uber’s Community Guidelines, and the driver’s access to the Uber app has been removed,” the Uber spokesperson said in a statement to IE.