Zomato extending all support in investigation of alleged assault case: Founder Deepinder Goyal

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Zomato founder Deepinder Goyal issued a statement in the case of an alleged assault to a customer by one of its delivery personnel, saying the company is extending all the support and its topmost priority has been to “get the truth”.

Recently, a Bengaluru-based model and makeup artist -- Hitesha Chandranee -- claimed that a Zomato delivery personnel had allegedly assaulted her for complaining against him over late delivery of food.

The model said she had lodged a complaint with the Zomato customer care asking them to either deliver food free of cost or cancel the order after it was delayed on March 9.

"So guys, my Zomato order was late and I was talking to the customer care executive and meanwhile the delivery person just did this," said Chandranee, crying and showing her bleeding nose in a selfie video.

The man was arrested on March 10 shortly after she had taken to Twitter to air her woes and tagged the city police, who asked her to provide the area details to assist her further.

Taking the matter into consideration, Goyal posted the statement on social media on behalf of the company on March 12.

“I want to chime in about the incident that happened in Bengaluru a few days ago,” he tweeted.

I want to chime in about the incident that happened in Bengaluru a few days ago. @zomato pic.twitter.com/8mM9prpMsx

— Deepinder Goyal (@deepigoyal) March 12, 2021

“Right from the get go, our topmost priority has been to get to the truth. Towards that, we are helping both Hitesh and Kamraj (our delivery partner) with all the support they need while the investigation is pending,” read the statement.

“We are also assisting the police in whichever way we asked,” it stated.

After the incident highlighted, the online food delivery giant has temporarily suspended Kamraj from active deliveries, but it is covering his earnings in the “interim while there is an active police investigation”, it said.

The company is also covering Kamraj’s legal expenses pertaining to the case, according to the statement.