2 weeks ago
Lucknow Rapido driver suspended 100 years over caste slur row
A man named Ankit Kumar drives a taxi for a company called Rapido.
One day, he picked up four passengers who work for Indian Railways.
He said the passengers were saying mean things about people from his community.
He made a video and posted it online, and many people got upset.
But the passengers said he was not telling the truth.
They said they are from the same community as him.
They said he stopped the car, started yelling, and recorded them without their permission.
The taxi company suspended him for 100 years.
Some people think the driver was wrong, and others think the company was too harsh.
The story shows how important it is to check the facts before believing a video.
Rapido suspended driver Ankit Kumar (30) for 100 years after a video showed him confronting passengers over alleged caste slurs in Lucknow.
Journalist Piyush Rai first posted videos claiming the driver confronted four Indian Railways employees who used casteist slurs about a senior officer.
The passengers, three of whom are Dalits and one from Backwards Classes, denied the claims and said the driver fabricated the story to gain fame.
Passengers said Ankit Kumar stopped the cab, recorded them, called people to the spot, and created a 'lynching type of situation.'
The incident drew reactions from Congress functionaries and online users, with some demanding a 'Muslim Atrocity Bill' and others condemning misuse of the SC/ST Act.
- Who
- Ankit Kumar, a 30-year-old Rapido driver, and four Indian Railways employees (three Dalits and one from Backwards Classes); journalist Piyush Rai posted the initial videos.
- What
- Ankit Kumar was suspended for 100 years after a video showed him confronting passengers over alleged caste slurs, which the passengers said were fabricated.
- Where
- Lucknow, India.
- When
- The incident occurred on August 10; the videos were posted on August 15, 2026.
- Why
- The driver allegedly fabricated the story to gain fame and trap the passengers in an SC/ST Atrocities case.
Driver's account
Passengers' account
Caste slur claims
Driver's account
Ankit Kumar said passengers repeatedly used casteist slurs about a senior officer from his community and ignored his requests to stop; he said he was suspended without being asked for his version.
Passengers' account
The passengers, three of whom are Dalits, denied using slurs and said the driver stopped the cab, became aggressive, and recorded them to trap them in an SC/ST Atrocities case.
Rapido's suspension decision
Driver's account
Congress functionaries criticized Rapido for suspending a driver for objecting to caste discrimination, which is prohibited by law.
Passengers' account
Others supported the suspension, saying the driver's claims were false and that he created a dangerous, 'lynching type of situation.'
Broader reactions and the SC/ST Act
Driver's account
Some online users demanded a 'Muslim Atrocity Bill,' arguing Muslims lack legal protection similar to the SC/ST Act available to Dalits.
Passengers' account
Others condemned the misuse of the SC/ST Act and warned that false accusations deepen the caste divide in society.
Key facts
- Driver
- Ankit Kumar (30)
- Company
- Rapido
- Suspension
- 100 years (99 years 11 months)
- Incident date
- August 10
- Videos posted
- August 15, 2026
- Location
- Lucknow
- Passengers
- 4 Indian Railways employees (3 SC/ST, 1 Backwards Classes)
- Initial video posted by
- Piyush Rai
Quotes
Passenger
Dalit passenger in the incident
“"We were Dalits. But if we belonged to General Caste, I can’t even imagine what the driver would have done to us."”
opindia.com
Sources
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