‘Mob Dragged Me in Kolkata, Hit Driver’: Ex-Miss India Universe

Her post is accompanied by a video of the men asking the driver to get out of the car.

Ushoshi Sengupta.

(Photo Courtesy: Facebook/Ushoshi Sengupta)

Ushoshi Senugpta, former Miss India Universe, who, on Tuesday, 18 June narrated an incident on her Facebook, where her cabbie was beaten up by some youths, has ruled out any angle of molestation in the case.

Speaking to news agency ANI, she said calling such incidents molestation might be diluting the meaning of the term. She further said that the situation was as much of an harassment for the taxi driver as it was for her.

“It was equally harassing for the man as much as it was harassing for me, and my friend who belongs from the LGBTQ community. It is more about the safety of the people in my city.”

Ushoshi Sengupta, Former Miss India

On the police not responding on time, she said that initially it was heartbreaking and ever since the post went viral, the Kolkata police top brass has been on the case.

The Kolkata police arrested seven youths on Tuesday, 18 June on charges of harassment and assault after a complaint was filed by Sengupta, whose cab driver was also assaulted by youths in Kolkata.

Ushoshi Sengupta put up a post on her Facebook, detailing the incident where several youths allegedly beat up her Uber driver after a minor collision in Kolkata.

Her post is accompanied by a video of the boys asking the driver to get out of the car and a photograph of the car with a damaged windshield.

In the post she said that she was returning home in an Uber cab after finishing work at around 11:40 pm when a bike hit the car. Riding the bike were a group of boys who weren’t wearing helmets. They then allegedly dragged the driver and started beating him up.

When she approached a policeman nearby, he allegedly refused to help saying that the area was in the jurisdiction of another police station. After she pleaded, the police came to resolve the matter. The boys then followed them home where they threw stones, dragged Ushoshi out and tried to delete the video from her phone. They dispersed when local residents came out of their houses to investigate the commotion, she writes.

Triggers Social Media Resentment

There was anger and disbelief on Facebook regarding the policeman’s alleged inaction because the area was in another police station’s jurisdiction.

Several others were less shocked and more resigned as, according to them, such incidents are now common in Kolkata.

Kolkata Police’s official Facebook handle replied to Ushoshi’s post as well, saying they arrested seven people in relation with the incident.