While Zomato has temporarily suspended the delivery executive accused of punching a customer in Bengaluru, the food tech unicorn is also covering his legal expenses, the company's co-founder Deepinder Goyal said on Friday.
Zomato is also covering the medical expenses of the model-turned-makeup artiste who posted a video clip on social media platforms alleging an assault on her by the Zomato delivery executive. The Bengaluru Police on Wednesday arrested the delivery executive, Kamaraj, shortly after Hitesha Chandranee took to Twitter and Instagram to air her woes, tagging the city police, which asked her to provide the area details.
"We are in constant touch with Hitesha, covering her medical expenses, and helping her with the proceedings," Goyal said in a statement.
"We are also in constant touch with Kamaraj, extending all possible support to make sure both sides of the story come to light and that due process is followed in the spirit of fairness," he added.
Goyal pointed out that Kamaraj has made around 5,000 deliveries for Zomato so far and has a 4.75/5 star rating on the platform - which is one of the highest.
"Right from the get-go, our topmost priority has been to get to the truth. Towards that, we are helping both Hitesha and Kamaraj (our delivery partner) with all the support they need while the investigation is pending. We are also assisting the police in whichever way asked," he said.
What’s the case?
Hitesha Chandranee, a Bengaluru-based content creator had posted a video on social media alleging that a Zomato delivery boy attacked her and injured her nose following an argument over food delivery. In the four-minute video clip posted on Instagram and Twitter, Chandranee could be seen with a bloody gash on her nose, claiming that the delivery executive had attacked her after she confronted him over the delay in the delivery of her order. The video went viral on social media and the matter was quickly looked after.
Also Read: Zomato delivery executive who mugged Bengaluru model & content creator, arrested
The delivery executive named Kamaraj was arrested by Bengaluru police but his version of the story is quite different from the woman’s. The delivery man denied all allegations and said he said that he is innocent and the woman had hit her nose with her ring.
Kamaraj said she refused to pay him and denied returning the food packets he had delivered and Chandrani was the first who abused him and followed him to the lift. She abused him in Hindi and threw slippers at him, said Kamaraj.