Tourist alleges harassment by Munnar taxi drivers; 2 cops suspended
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Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala Police have registered a suo motu case after a viral video by a Mumbai-based tourist alleged that she was harassed and threatened by local taxi drivers in Munnar, drawing widespread outrage and prompting swift action from the state government.
The tourist, identified as Janvi, an assistant professor from Mumbai, shared a three-minute video on Instagram on October 31, describing how she and her friends were allegedly confronted by members of a local taxi union on October 30 for booking an Uber cab near the KSRTC bus stand in Munnar.
According to her, local taxi drivers, reportedly opposed to app-based cab services, warned the group that they would not be allowed to travel unless they hired local taxis. When they sought police help, the officers allegedly sided with the taxi union.
“We were forced to take another vehicle and eventually cut short our trip out of fear,” Janvi said in the video, adding that though her trip to Munnar was “absolutely breathtaking,” she would not visit Kerala again because of the incident.
Janvi further alleged that when she contacted Kerala Tourism officials, she was told that online taxis like Uber and Ola were not permitted in Munnar due to opposition from local unions. “Everyone was saying you are not allowed to decide who you travel with. You are not allowed to feel safe or exercise your constitutional rights,” she said.
Following the viral video, the Munnar Police registered a case on November 2 at 6 p.m. against taxi drivers who can be identified from the footage. The FIR, filed under Sections 126(2) (wrongful restraint), 135(2) (criminal intimidation), and 3(5) (common intention) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), currently names no accused.
Officials said the police are verifying the role of the officers who responded at the scene and are also attempting to contact Janvi to record her formal statement as part of the investigation.
Meanwhile, two policemen — Sub Inspector George Kurian and Assistant Sub Inspector Saju Paulose of the Munnar Police Station — were suspended on Monday for their handling of the incident. The Idukki District Police Chief’s office said further disciplinary action would follow after an internal inquiry.
Reacting to the controversy, State Tourism Minister P.A. Mohammed Riyas called the incident “unfortunate” and said such episodes should never recur in Kerala.
“This issue needs to be discussed with other departments. Tourists come to Kerala with a lot of hope because the state is considered one of the safest destinations,” he said, assuring that corrective measures would be taken to protect visitors’ safety and confidence.
With PTI inputs