'Hurled abuse, filmed me’: Northeast woman recounts ordeal after cancelling Bengaluru auto ride

A woman from India’s Northeast has accused an Uber auto-rickshaw driver in Bengaluru of subjecting her to a torrent of abuse and physical threats after a cancelled ride, an incident she claims was driven by regional prejudice. This case echoes a recent, similar allegation of discrimination in the national capital.

The confrontation, which occurred on October 2, was captured in a video the woman, Enn Bii, later posted online. According to her account, the situation began when her booked Uber auto, driven by Pavan HS, failed to arrive at her location, even though the app indicated it had. Pressed for time, she cancelled the trip and found another auto.

The driver, however, arrived moments later and blocked her path. Bii alleged that he then demanded money, hurled abuse, attempted to hit her and filmed her without consent. The video footage shows the driver speaking aggressively to her in Kannada, a language Bii does not understand, despite her informing him of this.

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A post shared by Enn Bii (@ennbii040)

"He's abusing me like this because I'm from the Northeast," Bii is heard saying in the clip, her voice distressed. At one point, as the driver moves towards her, she cries out, "He's trying to hit me," while reading out his vehicle's registration number in an effort to document the incident.

In the Instagram post, she expressed her profound distress, writing, "We are not even safe in our own country."

The incident has drawn swift responses from authorities and the company. The Bengaluru City Police publicly responded to her social media post, seeking further details about the location and her contact information to investigate the matter.

Uber has issued a formal apology and escalated the case. "Hi Enn, this behavior is extremely concerning and we're so sorry this happened," Uber stated. The company confirmed it has referred the incident to a specialised team for a thorough review.

Similar to the Bengaluru incident, a woman from Meghalaya, Rittu Marak, claimed she was subjected to racist slurs on two separate occasions in Delhi, including being mocked for her appearance and called “Ching Chong” inside a Metro train.

Her viral video prompted a response from Union Minister Kiren Rijiju, who urged her to report the incidents to a special police unit created to address crimes against people from the Northeast.