A Uber driver was arrested in Noida on Wednesday after a harrowing incident where he allegedly threatened a group of women passengers with an iron pipe. The altercation began over a disagreement about the best route to take.
The arrest followed a formal complaint and the widespread sharing of a video documenting part of the confrontation on social media.
According to a TOI report, the incident occurred on Tuesday morning. The complainant, model Tashu Gupta, had booked the Uber ride from Botanical Garden metro station to Sector 128 with four friends.
A few minutes into the journey, the women suggested taking the Botanical Garden underpass to avoid traffic, a route they claimed to use regularly. However, the driver, identified as Brajesh Kumar, insisted on following the Google Maps prompt.
The driver reportedly told the women, "Chup chap se baithi reh, jo maps par dikha raha hai vahi se leke jauga (Sit quietly, I will follow the route prompted on the map).”
When the passengers asked Kumar to speak politely, the situation escalated into a heated argument. The group then asked him to stop the car. As they attempted to get out without paying for the aborted trip, the driver allegedly became aggressive.
Gupta stated that as she was stepping out, the driver pushed her and demanded payment. When the group refused, the situation turned more dangerous.
The driver pulled over near Golf Course metro station, opened the car's trunk and pulled out a pipe. In a video shared on Instagram, he is seen brandishing the object and demanding, "paise de (pay up)".
The complainant further alleged that Kumar warned, "Aaj tujhe maarke jail bhi jana pade to chala jaunga (I will kill you even if I have to go to jail for that)."
The women called the police helpline. Upon seeing this, the driver put the pipe away and drove off from the scene. An FIR was subsequently registered at Sector 39 police station.
As detailed in the TOI report, police arrested Brajesh Kumar under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including arrest to prevent commission of cognizable offences. His Maruti Ertiga vehicle was also seized.
A police official acknowledged the driver's counter-allegation, as per TOI, that "the cab driver claimed the women misbehaved with him and also pulled his hair." Despite this, Kumar was sent to judicial custody.
The video of the incident posted online has garnered significant attention, with over 1.8 million views on Instagram. The public outcry contributed to the swift police action.
Uber has reportedly not responded to repeated requests for comment on the incident or the status of the driver on its platform.
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