Journalism Student Details Assault By Uber Auto Driver On Twitter, Accused Arrested On Immediate Action

Ishita Singh, a student at the Asian College of Journalism posted a Twitter thread accusing an Uber auto driver of assault on September 26. She detailed the series of events along with screenshots of the ride and images of the auto.

The thread instantly went viral and fell under the notice of police officials and the mobility service provider, who were quick to look into the issue and take necessary action. The incident has, however, brought back worries about the questionable safety conditions for women.

I'm a student journalist at @ACJIndia, Chennai.
An @Uber Auto driver named Selvam ,sexually assaulted me by pressing my right breast, near Ibis OMR Hotel, when my friend and I returned from East Coast Madras to the hotel.@PoliceTamilnadu pic.twitter.com/jJMhx4zk5j

— Ishita Singh (@IshitaS05978134) September 25, 2022

The Events As Explained Under The Thread

Ishita Singh was returning from a restaurant to a hotel in Semmancheri, accompanied by a friend, when the incident occurred. As per the thread that she had posted online, the driver groped her when they reached the destination. Alarmed by the driver's inappropriate behaviour, she immediately began alerting people around them.

The driver, who was identified by Singh as Selvam, fled the scene before a crowd could approach. Singh dialled up the police to report the incident, but there was no response until at least 30 minutes. Later on, two policemen arrived at the scene and asked Singh to wait until morning to file a First Investigation Report (FIR) as there were no women officers available at the station at that time.

Claiming that they were abiding by the order issued by the government, the police did not permit the two women to go to the police station at night. After several arguments, they were taken to the station and made to write a complaint outside the police station as they said, "women are not allowed during the night".

After the events, Singh took to Twitter to share the screenshots of information regarding the Uber driver who had assaulted her and the ride details. She tagged the responsible police officials and also made it a point to mention the sections under which he is liable to be punished.

As per the evidences, he's punishable under section 354 and 506 of IPC. It was so traumatic that my friend and I still cannot process it. The fact that he had the audacity to 'smirk' while I was screaming at him.I don't think I can ever forget his face. @ACJIndia

— Ishita Singh (@IshitaS05978134) September 25, 2022

Replying to the thread posted by Singh, the Tambaram Police Commissionerate said a case has been registered against the accused and assured that necessary action will be taken. Uber India also took cognizance of the incident and asked the woman to share the details of her ride with the company.

Case registered in Semmanchery Ps. We are searching for the auto driver

— TAMBARAM CITY POLICE (@COPTBM) September 26, 2022

Hey Ishita, we've escalated this issue to our concerned team. A member of our team will get in touch with you at the earliest. Appreciate your time and patience.

— Uber India Support (@UberINSupport) September 26, 2022

Reactions By Netizens And The Following Arrest

According to the recent update posted by Ishita Singh, CCTV footage of the accused's auto was seized by the Tambaram City Police, following which the team of police arrested the auto driver.

Update - The accused's auto and CCTV footage was seized by the @COPTBM, following his arrest, yesterday night.
I thank @COPTBM @tnpoliceoffl, DCP Joshua, ACP Sudarshan, ACP Riazuddin and Srinivasan for taking the necessary actions.
I also thank @ACJIndia for their cooperation.

— Ishita Singh (@IshitaS05978134) September 27, 2022

Netizens lauded her efforts, and some also demanded a statement from the auto driver's side to ensure both sides are heard.

Sorry about your experience. And thanks for not letting it go. All power to you.

— Lakshmi Ramachandran (@laksr_tn) September 26, 2022

This must be extremely traumatising, I'm so sorry that you had to go through this. Heart swells with anger and fear knowing that we all have loved ones who avail these services on a daily basis and they too might face something similar. Strict action needed.

— Soham 🥺 (@Sohaaaaaaam) September 26, 2022

Hmm... Delay in registering complaint was wrong.
But everyone should just for a fair judicial probe & not make conclusions, we have seen how people have misused the media sympathy before & ruined many lives. Let a fair investigation happen and don't be lame and pass judgements.

— Narahari (@narahari_ai) September 26, 2022

Matter should be thoroughly investigated instead of just listening to one side of story or media pressure. It should be quick though and based on investigation, person in wrong should be punished…too many cases of false alarm and lives ruined.

— MK (@KhannaM07) September 26, 2022

It has also raised a discussion on understanding and voicing out assault cases that occur on a daily basis. Ishita Singh is a student who is well aware of the legal side of such cases and was quick to take action against the accused. However, many people in India continue to hold back from taking ahead cases of assault legally due to several reasons ranging from lack of awareness to fear of shame attached to assault.

Also Read: Child Pornography Sold On Twitter For Rs 20-30, Says Women Commission; Delhi Police Issues Probe