A 30-year-old woman has lodged a complaint at the Vepery police station, claiming that she and her 27-year-old brother were assaulted by an Uber Auto driver on the Purasawalkam High Road on Wednesday morning.
According to the woman, who preferred anonymity, she and her brother booked the Uber auto from their house in Perambur. “Once we got into the vehicle, we asked the driver if he had change for ₹500. He replied in the negative, but said it would be possible to get it from a petrol pump enroute,” the woman said.
The driver stopped the vehicle at a petrol pump in Purasawalkam for them to get change for ₹500. “I requested the driver to get the change, but he retorted saying he was not my servant and asked me to get it. Taken aback, I had asked if I could pay through digital wallet and he had agreed and started driving,” she said.
The complainant alleged that the driver stopped the vehicle after a few metres and told them to pay ₹70 and that subsequently he would cancel the trip.
“The woman and her brother told that they would inform Uber and then make the payment accordingly. Subsequently, they claim, the driver attacked them. Both sustained injuries,” said a senior police officer. A case was registered under various sections of the IPC including criminal intimidation.
The Vepery police are checking the footage to see what happened. “If the driver is at fault, we will arrest him,” an officer said. Further investigation is on.
An Uber spokesperson said: “This is a concerning incident, and a clear violation of the safety standards set by our community guidelines. We have removed the driver’s access to the app and stand ready to assist the law enforcement authorities with any investigation.”
