Mumbai journalist narrates cab ride horror: She tore off clumps of hair, scratched my face

A case has been registered against a woman in Mumbai for allegedly beating up a fellow passenger during a ride on an Uber pool service taxi. According to the complaint by the woman, who works as a journalist, the fellow passenger beat her up ruthlessly, injuring her face. She further alleged that clumps of her hair were also torn off by the fellow passenger.

The incident occurred on Monday when the complainant, Ushnota Paul, boarded an Uber pool cab as it was raining heavily. Taking to microblogging site Twitter, Ushnota said that it started when her fellow passenger, a 35-year-old woman, was yelling at the driver saying, “she’s paying the most and she’s getting dropped last”.

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

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

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

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

Uber refused to give the woman’s details stating “customer privacy”. The police officer called them in front of me and said there’s a formal complaint against this woman & yet Uber didn’t help. If she’s your customer, so am I.

— Ushnota Paul (@journojuno) June 25, 2018

Uber won’t do anything when it comes to my safety. If they don't respect what the Mumbai Police are saying to them, I am a mere civilian and definitely I am not safe.

— Ushnota Paul (@journojuno) June 25, 2018

.@MumbaiPolice said a lot of women do not file official complaints even though they face harassment, but I am not going to back down. This wasn't my fault. We, as women, should defend ourselves and stand up for what is right.

— Ushnota Paul (@journojuno) June 25, 2018

She further tweeted, "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 alleged that the woman banged the hand rest on her hand and bag, and targeted her with racial abuses. When she raised objection to the same, the woman threatened her. Following this, when Ushnota tried to click her pictures with her mobile phone, the woman allegedly attacked her. She tweeted, "Before she got down from the cab, she physically attacked me, grabbed me by my hair, tore off clumps of hair, scratched my face."

After the incident, the journalist went to NM Joshi police station to register her complaint. She said that while the driver cooperated and gave his statement to the police, but Uber refused to furnish the details of the alleged attacker citing company rules. Though no action has been taken by the police till now, a case has been registered under sections 324 and 504 of the Indian Penal Code.

However, the cab company later issued a statement clarifying its stand on the issue. The statement said, "It is deeply upsetting and against our community guidelines. The co-rider in question cannot access the app. We’ve reached out to authorities to offer info that could be helpful in their proceedings."