A 30-year-old woman had a close call when she jumped from a moving auto-rickshaw in East Bengaluru on Thursday night. The incident took place after she noticed that the driver was ignoring her directions, going off his designated route and going to an unknown location.
The incident took place while traveling from Horamau to Thanisandra and was later shared on social media by the woman's husband Azhar Khan. While no official police complaint has been filed, the matter was brought to the attention of Bengaluru city police through a post on Khan X (formerly Twitter) where the auto-rickshaw driver appeared to be drunk.
The woman had booked the ride through the Namma Yatri app but panicked when the driver veered off the usual route and headed towards Hebbal. Despite her repeated inquiries, the driver did not respond. According to Khan, the driver exhibited signs of intoxication such as red eyes and erratic behaviour.
“When the vehicle reached Nagawara, the driver suddenly took a flyover which was not part of the intended route,” informed Khan. Times of India.
Sensing the possible danger, the woman took a decisive step. She jumped out of the traveling vehicle when the auto-rickshaw slowed down near the lower ramp of the flyover. Fortunately, she escaped unharmed.
After she got out, the driver approached her and tried to persuade her to get back into the auto-rickshaw, but she flatly refused. Instead, she completed payment for the ride online and arranged another car to drive her home safely.
“This raises serious concerns about the safety of women. If this can happen to my wife at 9 pm, imagine how many other women can face such accidents while traveling late,” Khan told The Times of India.
The incident sparked a conversation on social media and caught the attention of Namma Yatri. Sending a message to Khan, the ride booking platform responded, “Thank you for your time on the call, Azhar. Please DM us for further assistance.
The woman was initially reluctant to file a formal complaint for fear of retaliation. However, after Khan's social media post gained widespread attention, the Bangalore police approached him.