‘Blinkit store creating threat in society’: Woman says delivery executives attacked family, incident captured on CCTV

A Ghaziabad-based software developer has called on Zomato Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Deepinder Goyal and Blinkit CEO Albinder Dhindsa, urging them to take action after a Blinkit dark store on the ground floor of her residential building allegedly became a “breeding ground for chaos, intimidation, and violence.” 

In a LinkedIn post on January 27, Mansi M, a software engineer, wrote, “The violence that you people are supporting in the name of Blinkit is not at all acceptable.”  

What happened?

The post, which includes CCTV footage, claimed that delivery executives had verbally and physically assaulted residents in Sector-3, Rajinder Nagar, Ghaziabad.

According to the post, a group of delivery executives was verbally abusing the society members outside the store. Her father, returning from work, tried to intervene to calm the situation but was physically assaulted. 

“A group of delivery executives harassed and verbally abused society members outside the store. My father, who was returning home from work, tried to intervene and defuse the situation but was met with a violent response,” as per the post on LinkedIn. 

At least 30-40 delivery executives stormed into the store, locked the shutters, and began attacking her family with “bats and sticks.” Her father, brother and cousin were assaulted, she claimed.

“These individuals escalated the conflict, physically attacking my father, brother, and cousin. Thirty to forty delivery riders stormed into the store, locked the shutter, and proceeded to beat my family with bats and sticks, some of which were being sold on Blinkit’s platform. My brother was brutally hit on his chest and head with a bat, and my 55-year-old father, a heart patient, was also locked inside the shutter and assaulted. Thankfully, they survived this harrowing experience,” according to the social media post. 

Living in Fear

Mansi said her family now lives in constant fear, awaiting a response from the top management of the quick commerce platforms.

“We are now living in constant fear, knowing that something even worse could happen, as the staff continues to threaten us,” said Mansi. 

She also said the delivery executives' violent behaviour posed a threat to the surrounding community. 

“As a girl, if I ever requested them to not abuse among themselves, they started abusing me and threatening, especially as my family resides just above the Blinkit store. The violent behavior of the delivery executives is not just a threat to my family but to everyone who lives nearby [sic],” she said in the post.

Mansi has also called on Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adiyanath to take necessary steps and action against the attackers.