Not allowed to feel safe: Mumbai woman harassed by taxi drivers in Kerala

Mangalore Today News Network

Munnar, Nov 4, 2025: A Mumbai-based tourist was allegedly harassed by taxi drivers in Kerala’s Munnar, forcing her to end the trip midway and return to safety. 

The woman, identified as Janvi, was allegedly stopped from using online taxis (Uber or Ola) and forced to switch to a local taxi, citing "court order". 

Janvi, an assistant professor from Mumbai, allegedly did not receive any help from the police or Kerala Tourism Department. A case has been registered only after she shared the ordeal online.

Kerala Tourism and Public Works Minister PA Mohammed Riyas termed the Munnar taxi harassment incident "deeply unfortunate."

Riyas said the woman had arrived in Kerala with great expectations, and such incidents send a negative impression about the state. 

"Kerala is one of the safest tourism destinations in India. What happened in Munnar is a negative episode. Positive stories must also get attention in the media," he said.

In a three-minute-long video shared on the internet, Janvi detailed the incident along with evidence. The video begins with Janvi praising the "breathtaking" beauty of Kerala but also clarifies that she might not come here again.

"This trip started with us going to Kochi, then to Alleppey. The people over there were extremely nice, very kind, very welcoming and then I decided to go to Munnar. A decision that has changed the way that I will always remember this trip," she said in the video.

When she was leaving for Munnar, the BnB (bed and breakfast) host casually informed her no Uber or Ola pickups were allowed in Munnar. "Not not available. Not allowed," she clarified. When asked about the reason, Janvi and the group, who had already booked the cab, were told it is because of the union.

"He (host) basically warned us that if we still want to go, we have to call him (driver) to a different location and then we have to meet him there and make sure that nobody notices us," she added.

As soon as the group started loading their bags onto the cab, a group of five to six men appeared.

"Apparently, they had been following us. They started threatening our cab driver, telling him that he can’t take us. Nobody asked us. We obviously didn’t understand the language, but we understood the aggression in it and started feeling extremely unsafe," she added.

Janvi called the police for help, but they allegedly had a discussion with the union people. "Not a single word to us."

The travellers were allegedly asked by the police to take a local taxi instead of a ride they had already booked via an app. Janvi then called Kerala tourism but received a similar response.

"Everybody kept throwing the same sentence at us. You’re not allowed. You’re not allowed to decide who you travel with. You’re not allowed to feel safe. You’re not allowed to exercise your constitutional rights," she added.

As a woman, Janvi said she feels safer in travelling in an app-based taxi as she can keep a track of her location and share ride details with the family and friends.

"It’s very easy to lodge complaints because of the cybersecurity protocols, but here I was being forced to go with somebody that was threatening us like a few minutes ago, a person that I definitely did not feel safe with," she explained.

Later, when Janvi checked for any such court order, she found that the Kerala High Court had ruled in favour of online taxis because "it is the constitutional right of a customer to decide who they want to travel with."

The tourist also said that it is the duty of the police to stop harassment and exploitation and let tourists travel the way they want to.

"I loved Kerala. I loved how beautiful it was. I loved how amazing the people of Kerala were. But I don’t think that I’ll be able to come back to a place where I’m not allowed to feel safe," she said towards the end of the video.

In the video, Janvi also shared snippets of local taxi drivers threatening the online taxi driver and police interacting with union members.

The Kerala minister said such incidents should not affect tourist inflow to the state. 

"Kerala is known for its peace and hospitality. A visitor from another state should never have to face such an experience here," he said.

Riyas also stated that the issue would be discussed with other ministers and representatives of taxi associations to ensure such cases are not repeated.

Following widespread outrage, Munnar Police have now registered a suo motu case based on the video, involving charges related to wrongful restraint and criminal intimidation. Officials said they have also begun efforts to record the woman’s statement directly.

The video, which went viral, has now been taken down by Janvi.

In the past year, there have been several similar incidents in the hilltop of Idukki district in Kerala, where online taxi drivers were allegedly assaulted or prevented from operating by local unions, sparking debates over tourists’ safety and the monopoly of local taxi operators in the hill station.