Gurgaon: A woman has alleged that the driver of a ride-hailing service threatened her, physically restrained her and followed her to her home in the city after she refused to pay more than the fare displayed on the app. The woman, a software engineer and artificial intelligence professional, shared her ordeal on X, describing the incident as one of the most terrifying experiences of her life. She later posted that the driver had been barred from the platform.In her post, the woman also raised concerns about being unable to access Uber’s safety support option while attempting to report the incident. She said the safety support option was unavailable to her despite the seriousness of the situation. Police have taken cognizance of her social media post and reached out to her, asking her to share her details through direct message (DM) for further necessary action. A police officer told TOI, “We will take appropriate legal action following her complaint.”The incident allegedly took place around 4.45am after the woman arrived at Delhi airport and booked the Uber cab to the city for “a 20-minute ride”. According to her post, the fare displayed on the app was approximately Rs 625. However, after the trip, the driver, identified by her as Jamil Jahid Khan, allegedly showed her a screenshot of a fare quote from Rapido for Rs 1,479 and demanded that she pay the higher amount.When she pointed out that the screenshot was from Rapido and not Uber, the driver allegedly insisted, “Is route ka itna hi hota hai (you need to pay the same amount as displayed by Rapido for this route).” The woman said she paid the Rs 625 fare displayed on her Uber app. The woman said that the confrontation escalated after she paid the fare. According to her account, the driver locked the car and refused to let her retrieve her luggage unless she paid Rs 1,479. When she tried to take her belongings, he allegedly held her arm and shut the front-seat window where her luggage was kept, attempting to prevent her from removing it.She said she eventually managed to retrieve her luggage and tried to enter her house. However, according to her post, the driver followed her to her residence, forced the gate and abused her, preventing her from entering peacefully. The woman alleged that after she managed to get inside and lock the door, the driver began climbing the gate while hurling abuses and threatening her life.Describing the ordeal, she said the incident had gone far beyond a fare dispute and involved intimidation, physical aggression and threats at her own doorstep. She tagged the company’s support and India accounts, seeking an urgent human response, a proper investigation and concrete action. She also urged the platform to preserve the trip and driver records.The incident prompted social media users to express concern over passenger safety and the woman’s well-being. Several users described the experience as shocking and horrifying and urged Uber to take immediate action. Some also called on the city police to register an FIR, stressing the need for action to prevent the driver from allegedly harassing other passengers. In the next post on X, the woman said she was safe and thanked those who had reached out to check on her. She added that Uber had contacted her and confirmed that the driver had been barred from the platform and would no longer be able to accept rides.An Uber official, sharing a statement with TOI, said, “What has been described is deeply concerning and has no place on the Uber platform. Such behaviour violates our community guidelines and we have removed the driver’s access to the Uber app. We stand ready to support law enforcement authorities with any information they may require.”The woman, who graduated with a BTech in Computer Science from Bennett University, has experience working at Microsoft, where she worked on generative AI products in Munich. She currently works at Bolna, a California-based AI technology startup backed by Y Combinator in its Fall 2025 batch. She also holds a pilot’s licence. She wrote, “i’ve used cabs to get around in different countries and never imagined i’d feel this unsafe trying to get home in my own country. how am i supposed to trust a service that i booked specifically to get home safely?”
