‘I begged them to fix it’: MP woman sets Rs 2.5 lakh e-rickshaw on fire after company denies free repairs

Woman burns e-rickshaw after months of ignored complaints. (Image: @JyotiDevSpeaks/ X)

For many low-income families, investing in a small business is seen as a way to secure a steady income and escape daily financial uncertainty. When such efforts fail, the impact can be severe. One such case unfolded publicly in Shivpuri, Madhya Pradesh, where a dispute over repairs turned into a dramatic act in a busy market area.

As reported by NDTV, a woman set her Rs 2.5 lakh e-rickshaw on fire outside the showroom where she had bought it, claiming that the company and its dealer refused to repair the vehicle despite her repeated complaints over several months. The incident led to panic in the area and was recorded on video, which later spread widely on social media.

The woman has been identified as Gudiya Mahaur, who lives in Shivpuri. She and her husband, Narayan Mahaur, are labourers and had bought the e-rickshaw about six months ago with the help of a loan. According to the family, the vehicle costs between Rs 2.30 lakh and Rs 2.50 lakh.

The e-rickshaw was purchased to help the family earn a steady income and take care of their three children. Gudiya said the idea was to stop depending on irregular daily wage work and earn through self-employment. However, she claimed the plan did not work as expected because the vehicle started having technical problems soon after it was bought.

According to Gudiya, the e-rickshaw worked properly for only around two months. After that, it began to develop faults and later stopped working altogether. She said she went to the showroom several times to get it repaired, but alleged that her complaints were not taken seriously. Gudiya said, “For the last four months, I have been going to the agency again and again. I begged them to fix it. Instead of repairing it, they kept sending me away.”

She said the vehicle remained parked at home as it could not be used for work. During this period, the family was forced to return to labour work to survive, even as loan instalments for the e-rickshaw continued to add financial pressure.

Gudiya said the situation worsened when the showroom allegedly refused to carry out any further repairs. “They told me nothing would be done. That’s when I lost hope,” she said.

Eyewitnesses said the incident took place during the day in a crowded market area near the showroom. According to the video doing the rounds on social media, Gudiya poured petrol over the e-rickshaw, which was parked on the roadside, and set it on fire.

आम आदमी जाये तो कहाँ जाये? मध्य प्रदेश के शिवपुरी में ई-रिक्शा के बार-बार खराब होने और 4 महीने तक एजेंसी के मरम्मत से इंकार करने से परेशान महिला ने शोरूम के बाहर ही ई-रिक्शा को आग के हवाले कर दिया! पति पत्नी ने दिहाड़ी मजदूरी करके एक एक पैसा जोड़कर, बड़ी उम्मीदों से ई-रिक्शा… pic.twitter.com/05p4i4MsHM

— Vishal JyotiDev Agarwal 🇮🇳 (@JyotiDevSpeaks) February 6, 2026

Police said they reached the spot shortly after receiving information about the incident. Officers managed to prevent the fire from spreading to nearby shops and vehicles. No injuries were reported. The burnt e-rickshaw was later taken to the police station along with the woman. “Statements from both sides are being recorded to ascertain the facts,” a police official said.

The showroom has rejected the claims made by Gudiya. Shubham Sharma, who is in charge of the showroom, said there was no manufacturing fault in the e-rickshaw except for a problem with the battery.

“The battery had burst. The company does not provide a replacement for burst batteries. There is no provision to change it,” Sharma said. He said the woman was asked to replace the battery by paying for it herself, but she did not agree. The showroom stated that this is why the e-rickshaw was not repaired.