Chennai techie alleges harassment by Big Basket delivery agent

CHENNAI: A 23-year-old woman IT employee working with a multi-national financial services company alleged harassment by a delivery agent of Big Basket, an online supermarket when the latter came to deliver groceries.

Based on the woman's complaint, Thuraipakkam Police registered a case and arrested the accused on Thursday.

The woman, living in Thuraipakkam took to Twitter and narrated her ordeal, after which City Police got in touch with the woman and procured CCTV footage from the housing complex.

The delivery agent, identified as S Jayabal (35) went to the complainant's house to deliver a groceries' order on Wednesday. According to the woman's complaint, despite her asking the man to keep the items on a chair near the door, he walked into the kitchen.

Taken aback by his move, the woman immediately asked him to leave the house. However, he acted unmindful of her requests and walked towards her and touched her shoulders and asked for her phone number.

"He came to the hall and near the main door and closed the main door and was trying to come near me. Also he was asking "madam give me your number I will leave". He repeatedly asked for my number for 20 times," the woman tweeted and said that she warned him that there are cameras outside and that she will complain to the police, despite which he persisted.

When the woman contacted the Big Basket customer care, they had promised her that they will escalate the issue, but refused to share his phone number to file a police complaint. "I spoke to 5 different level executives, everyone replied the same "as per the company policy we are not supposed to disclose the delivery partner's number". I was surprised that I was talking about safety and things and telling them what exactly happened they didn't even respond. And, moreover I was asked to not share anything on social media or Twitter or go to the police station," the woman added.

Based on the woman's complaint, Thuraipakkam Police registered a case under section 4 of Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Harassment of Women (TNPHW) Act and arrested Jayabal. He was produced before a magistrate and remanded in judicial custody.