Cab driver booked for creating fake Instagram account of woman passenger after tiff over toll

A driver attached to a ride-sharing platform has been booked for allegedly creating a fake Instagram account of a woman and labelling her a “call girl” after she refused to pay toll during a trip, police said on Thursday.

Accused Vinay Kumar Yadav, a resident of Jharkhand, also shared the personal details of the woman, a government employee, on social media, an official said. The police did not explain how he accessed her personal data.

The 31-year-old woman had booked a ride from south Mumbai to Dadar some time ago. During the journey, Yadav allegedly asked her to pay toll charges at one point, but she refused, triggering an argument.

Later, Yadav allegedly began calling the woman repeatedly and abusing her, the official said. She then blocked the number.

Soon after, she started getting unsolicited calls from unknown persons. When she checked, the woman found that a fake Instagram account had been created using her photograph and describing her as a “call girl”. The account had the woman’s contact details.

She filed a complaint with the social media company and learnt the cab driver had created the account. The woman then approached the Dadar police.

Based on her complaint, a case was registered under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) sections concerning “word, gesture or act intended to insult modesty of a woman” and defamation and under the IT Act, the official said, citing the FIR.

Yadav was traced to his native place in Jharkhand through his mobile number and served a notice to appear before the police, he added.