India's first woman Uber driver found dead

Two years ago, Bharati Veerath became the first woman in India to partner with cab aggregator Uber, and left a lasting impression on thousands of passengers with her positive attitude to life. But in a tragic end to a tale of inspiration, Ms. Veerath (40) was found dead under mysterious circumstances in her Sanjay Nagar residence on Monday.

Neighbours, who got suspicious as her house door was left ajar, called for her, but she didn’t respond. When they peeped in, they found her hanging with a dupatta from a hook in the wall. Shankar Singh, the landlord, called the jurisdictional Sanjaynagar police.

Bharathi was a native of Guntur, Andhra Pradesh, and had moved to Nagashettihalli around 10 months ago.  A spinster, she was living alone. Her parents had died around eight years ago. She is survived by a sister who lives in Guntur. 

Police said they didn’t find any suicide note, but suspect Bharathi was



“very depressed” in life. She bought a car on a bank loan and started driving it for cab aggregator Uber. 

Her neighbours remembered her as a disciplined woman and workaholic. She would leave for work in the morning and get back by evening.  Other tenants in the building said she was friendly and would help people in need. Over the past two days, she was often remembering her parents. 

She also mentioned that she was slipping into depression and could not handle the loneliness. The other tenants in the building persuaded her to marry but she said she was not interested in marriage, they said. 

She had also told them that she wanted to go back to her native place and spend the rest of her life with her sister. When contacted, Uber officials said Bharathi was a hard worker and a role model for other women to lead an independent life.

Sanjay Nagar police have registered a case.