Was asked my caste first: HDFC Bank employee clarifies amid 'Thakur' row; couple counters
A viral video of a woman bank employee mentioning her caste has sparked widespread debate across India, but she clarifies the context was misrepresented.
What began as a tense exchange inside an HDFC Bank branch in Kanpur has spiralled into a nationwide controversy, fuelled by a 45-second viral video and two completely different accounts of what really happened that day.
The clip, shot inside the bank, shows a woman employee asserting her caste identity during an argument. Within hours of going viral, it triggered fierce online reactions and political commentary.
Days later, the woman in the video, Aastha Singh, has stepped forward to say the incident has been “misrepresented” and that the viral footage captures only a fraction of a much longer confrontation.
'NOT A CUSTOMER, NOT A PUBLIC ISSUE,' SAYS SINGH
Singh, a relationship manager at HDFC Bank’s Panki branch who joined the bank on December 15, insists the man seen arguing with her was not a customer but the husband of a colleague.
“This incident is being portrayed in a completely different manner,” Singh said, breaking her silence. “It was a personal dispute. He is the husband of a female employee and he misbehaved with me. The video was my response to that behaviour.”
Singh said the exchange took place on January 6, though the clip surfaced online much later. According to her, she mentioned her caste only after being directly questioned.
“He asked me what caste I belonged to and why I had so much attitude. Only then did I say that I am a Thakur. I am proud of it,” she said, adding that the remark is now being used to give the incident a “different colour”.
HOW A ROUTINE BANK DAY TURNED UGLY
According to Singh, tensions began that morning when a former cashier, Ritu Tripathi, arrived at the branch to complete her resignation formalities. Tripathi’s husband, Rishi Mishra, allegedly demanded that his wife be relieved by 10 am, even though cash-handling procedures and key formalities took time.
“The process was completed by around 4.15 pm. After that, the aggression escalated,” Singh alleged.
She also referred to an earlier disagreement with Mishra’s sister over access to a bathroom, which she believes added to the simmering tension.
Singh alleged that Mishra confronted her inside the branch, used intimidating language, claimed to have media connections and threatened her verbally.
“He told me, ‘I will take out your heat.’ How long should a woman remain silent in such a situation?” she asked.
‘ONLY 45 SECONDS SHOWN’
Singh maintains that the viral clip shows only 45 seconds of a much longer incident that was captured on CCTV cameras inside the bank.
“If the truth has to come out, the full video should be made public,” she said, adding that an internal email detailing the incident was sent to senior bank officials on the same day.
She also said that after the video went viral, she became the target of online abuse and threats.
“People are making violent comments and dragging my family into this. This has damaged my reputation,” Singh said, confirming that she has filed a complaint and plans to pursue legal action.
THE OTHER SIDE TELLS A DIFFERENT STORY
Former bank cashier Ritu Tripathi and her husband Rishu Mishra have rejected Singh’s version of events, offering a sharply different account.
“She mentioned her caste on her own. We never asked her about it,” Rishu Mishra said.
According to the couple, the argument had nothing to do with caste and everything to do with delays in Tripathi’s resignation process. They claimed she was made to wait for hours despite completing formalities, prompting Mishra to go to the branch and question the staff.
Mishra said he later filed a complaint on the public grievance portal, alleging that the bank failed to act despite repeated representations.
A CLASH, A CLIP, AND A WIDENING CONTROVERSY
The couple acknowledged that tensions first arose earlier in the day after a disagreement between Mishra’s sister and Singh. They said the situation worsened when the relieving process stretched on, leading to a heated exchange inside the bank.
Singh, however, maintains that the video was released much later with the intention of maligning her image after the bank did not take immediate action.