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A Supreme Court advocate, Dr Saif Mahmood, reported an alarming incident in which an Ola driver glorified violence and deliberately intimidated Muslim passengers in New Delhi.

In a letter addressed to Ola and its Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Bhavish Agarwal on March 16, the advocate expressed deep shock and alarm over his recent Ola ride.

During a ride on March 15, the driver allegedly boasted about brutally assaulting passengers in separate incidents, the reasons being that they were Muslims and that they ate non-vegetarian food in his vehicle.

Mahmood characterised the driver’s actions as open Islamophobia and an attempt to intimidate him within the confines of the vehicle.

While narrating one incident, the driver, whose name appeared as Shri Ram on the app, claimed to have brutally beaten up a Muslim passenger because the passenger was eating non-vegetarian food in his vehicle. He allegedly stopped at a dhaba, where he added that others present joined in “beating the man and breaking his legs.”

The driver said the passenger had threatened him in return, saying he would gather “his own people” who would “cut the driver to pieces.” The driver then decided to leave him in no condition to reach his destination at all.

“He recounted the entire episode with striking pride, openly glorifying the violence at every step,” Dr Mahmood’s letter read.

While recounting another incident, the driver said he similarly assaulted an individual in Noida, insinuating that the second victim was also Muslim.

“At multiple points, the driver made remarks that revealed this was a deliberate, targeted display of Islamophobia. He repeatedly emphasised the Muslim identity of those he claimed to have assaulted and even stated that the Uttar Pradesh Government was ‘doing well to teach such people a lesson,'” Mahmood said.

He added that the tone, content and manner in which the driver narrated the incidents were “plainly designed to intimidate me” because of his religious identity.

“These were not random or careless comments,” the advocate said. “The driver intentionally used his stories to scare him by repeatedly praising religious violence and approving of revenge by the masses.

Raising concerns regarding the ride, Mahmood questioned if Ola condoned, tolerated, or turned a blind eye to communal hatred, Islamophobia, and the glorification of violence propagated by their drivers.

The advocate demanded that the company clearly explain what its policies are on non-discrimination for all passengers, how these policies are implemented and enforced, and what safeguards exist to prevent drivers from targeting passengers.

Dr Mahmood also called for an immediate response from Ola on what action they will be taking, if any, against the particular driver.

“The issues raised here concern not only my personal safety but also the safety of the public at large and the unchecked propagation of communal violence by individuals operating under your platform,” the advocate said.

He will escalate the matter if a response has not been issued by the company, saying he has taken the matter to the Supreme Court Bar Association and the Delhi High Court Bar Association.