Uber driver speeds away while woman tries to disembark following argument, arrested

PTI, Mar 24, 2023, 6:30 PM IST

A 22-year-old college student was injured after her cab driver drove off while she was disembarking following an argument over changing her destination, police said on Friday. The accused Uber driver Pawan (32) has been arrested, they said. In its response to PTI, an Uber spokesperson called the incident ”unfortunate” and said the company had removed the driver’s access to the app.

The incident took place around 4 pm on Wednesday. The victim had booked the cab via Uber from Majnu Ka Tilla to Ashok Vihar. After boarding the cab, she received a call following which she changed her destination to Dilshad Garden. However, an argument broke out between the victim and the driver over changing the destination. ”The driver asked her to get down in the middle of the way but the woman kept arguing and refused to cancel the trip or take another vehicle. This annoyed the driver even more. ”When they reached a traffic signal near a college, he sped away with her belongings while the victim was trying to alight the vehicle. The driver’s carelessness led to the woman falling off,” a senior police official said. The victim suffered injuries and was admitted to a hospital from where information of a road accident was reported to officers at the Civil Lines police station in north Delhi, he said. ”After collecting the medico-legal case, the injured woman’s statement was recorded. In her complaint, she stated that the driver got annoyed by the change in destination and sped away with her belongings while carelessly injuring her,” the official added. A case has been registered under sections 279 (rash driving or riding on a public way), 337 (causing hurt by an act which endangers human life or personal safety of others) and 379 (theft) of the Indian Penal Code, Deputy Commissioner of Police (North) Sagar Singh Kalsi said.

”Information was obtained from Uber and the driver identified. A team was formed and the driver, Pawan, was arrested from near his home in Mundka on Friday. All the victim’s belongings, including her mobile phone, was recovered from him,” he said. Responding to the incident, the Uber spokesperson said, ”This is an unfortunate incident. Rash and unsafe driving violates our community guidelines that help maintain safety standards on our platform. ”We continue to extend all possible support to law enforcement authorities and have removed the driver’s access to the Uber app.”