Bangalore-based Ola, which is locked in a fierce contest with Uber in the cab-hailing service sector in India, has lashed out against the latter calling its actions as “despicable” and reflective of low morals.
Ola’s outrage comes after a report on the news website Recode indicated that former Uber executive Eric Alexander allegedly obtained the medical reports of the woman who was raped in 2014 by an Uber driver and cast doubt on the rape survivor’s account, suggesting that it could be part of a conspiracy by Ola to damage Uber. Alexander, according to a report by The New York Times , which cited sources, has been fired after pressure was built up from the media, which questioned his conduct.
It is a shame that the privacy and morals of a woman have to be questioned in an attempt to trivialise a horrific crime. It is despicable that anyone can even conceive an attempt to malign competition using this as an opportunity. If this report were to be even remotely true, this is an all-time low on morality and a reflection of the very character of an organisation.Ola’s Statement
Alexander was the president of business in Asia-Pacific and also reportedly shared the medical records with Uber CEO Travis Kalanick and Senior VP Emil Michael.
A report by The New York Times, citing sources, narrates how Alexander “spent months” in the country, probing these rape allegations himself and updating his colleagues Michael and Kalanick about the same.
With Uber being banned from operating in Delhi after the incident, he further thought that this could be a ploy by Ola to eliminate competition in the cab-hailing service market, while raising doubts over the veracity of the woman’s accusations against the company’s driver.
The departure of Alexander comes right after the company laid off 20 of its employees over several charges, including sexual harassment, in an investigation conducted by law firm Perkins Coie.
Uber’s action against Alexander also seemed quite interesting, as reported by Recode on Wednesday.
Alexander had not been among those fired, Uber said yesterday when asked about his status. Now, after Recode contacted the company about his actions, he is no longer employed there. Uber declined to comment further.Excerpt from the Recode report
The report further claims that Alexander’s actions were part of the “215 claims reported to two law firms, Perkins Coie and Covington & Burling”, that were under investigation.
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