Zomato co-founder Deepinder Goyal on Friday responded to the altercation that broke out between Bengaluru-based beauty influencer Hitesha Chandranee and one of the company’s delivery partners Kamaraj. Deepinder Goyal has stated that the company has reached out to both of them and is covering Hitesha’s medical expenses and Kamaraj’s legal expenses as well. While Hitesha has alleged that the delivery partner assaulted her and told TNM that he punched her on the nose leading to a nasal bone fracture, Kamaraj told TNM that she hit him with her slippers and while he was trying to deflect her blows, she cut her nose with her own ring.
“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. We are in constant touch with Hitesha, covering her medical expenses, and helping her with the proceedings,” Deepinder said.
“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.
Deepinder added that as per protocol, Zomato has temporarily suspended Kamaraj from active deliveries, but is covering his earnings in the interim while there's an active police investigation.
“Also, for the record - Kamaraj has made -5,000 deliveries for us so far and has a 4.75/5 star rating on our platform (which is one of the highest), and has been working with us for 26 months now (these are facts, not opinions, or inferences),” Deepinder added in the statement.
On Wednesday, in an Instagram video that later went viral, Hitesha alleged that the Zomato delivery partner punched her on the nose when she questioned why the delivery order was late. She had narrated in the video that she placed an order at 3.30 pm on March 9, which was supposed to be delivered by 4.30 pm, but since she did not receive her order on time, she got in touch with Zomato’s customer support, and asked them to either waive off the charges for the order or cancel the order. When Kamaraj came to her door, she asked him to wait as she was speaking to a customer care representative, which is when she says he started abusing her. Hitesha then alleged that the executive entered her home, and she picked up her slipper in self-defence, but he punched her.
However, when TNM spoke to Kamaraj, he said she was rude to him over the delayed delivery from the onset, called him a “slave” and when he tried to leave the building, began to abuse him.
“At this point, when I was walking towards the lift, she started using expletives in Hindi. She suddenly threw slippers at me and started hitting me. For my safety, when she was hitting me, I tried to use my hand to shield her blows,” he had told TNM on Thursday. "When she was trying to push my hand away, she accidentally hit herself with her finger ring on the nose, which led to the bleeding. Anybody who sees her face, will understand that this wouldn't be created by a punch. And I don’t wear any rings,” he says. Hitesha in her Instagram video is seen wearing a ring.