Former HDFC Bank Employee Ritu Tripathi and Husband Rishi Mishra Reject Aastha Singh’s ‘Caste Provocation’ Claims (Watch Videos)
Ritu Tripathi and Rishi Mishra have rejected HDFC employee Aastha Singh’s claims of provocation. They assert that Singh invoked her caste voluntarily during a dispute over resignation delays. The couple denies asking about her caste and claims the staff was intentionally uncooperative. They had previously filed a grievance regarding the staff's conduct.
Lucknow, February 10: Ritu Tripathi, the former HDFC Bank cashier at the center of the "I am a Thakur" viral video controversy, has officially countered the claims made by her former colleague, Aastha Singh. Tripathi and her husband, Rishu Mishra, have dismissed allegations that they provoked Singh or questioned her caste. According to the couple, the confrontation was entirely a result of "unnecessary delays" and "unprofessional behavior" regarding Tripathi’s resignation formalities at the Panki branch.
The dispute reached a boiling point on January 6, though the footage only surfaced recently. Tripathi alleges that despite completing all her exit requirements, the bank staff, specifically Aastha Singh, deliberately delayed her relieving process for several hours. This delay prompted her husband to intervene, leading to the heated exchange captured in the 45-second clip that has since sparked nationwide debate on social media. HDFC Bank Employee Aastha Singh Breaks Silence on Viral ‘I Am Thakur’ Video.
Former HDFC Bank Employee Ritu Tripathi, Husband Reject Aastha Singh’s ‘Caste Provocation’ Claims
Ritu Tripathi Breaks Silence
What Rishi Mishra Said
Rishi Mishra Denies of Caste-Based Provocation
Addressing Aastha Singh’s claim that she only mentioned her caste because she was asked "Who are you to show such arrogance?", Rishi Mishra provided a starkly different account. He maintains that neither he nor his wife ever inquired about Singh’s caste or social background. "She mentioned her caste on her own to intimidate us. We never asked her about it," Mishra stated in a recent interaction.
The couple asserts that Singh used her caste identity as a tool of aggression rather than a defense. They claim that the viral video, while short, accurately reflects the "haughty and uncooperative" attitude they faced while simply trying to complete administrative paperwork. ‘Thakur Hoon…Yahi Pe Thok Denge’: HDFC Bank Employee Abuses and Threatens Customer in Kanpur, Video Goes Viral.
Kanpur HDFC Bank Viral Video
Ritu Tripathi explained that she had arrived at the branch early in the morning to hand over her keys and complete the final handover of the cash chest. According to her version, the process should have been routine, but she was made to wait until late in the afternoon. She claims that when her husband arrived to ask about the delay, he was met with hostility instead of an explanation.
"The work that should have taken an hour was stretched out to nearly five hours," Tripathi alleged. The couple believes the staff’s frustration over the resignation led to the outburst, rather than any external provocation or personal enmity.
Rishu Mishra revealed that he did not wait for the video to go viral to take action. He claims to have filed a formal complaint on the government’s public grievance portal shortly after the incident in January. He alleges that HDFC Bank’s internal management failed to address their concerns regarding the staff's conduct at the time.
The couple is now standing by their version of events as the video continues to draw polarized reactions. While Aastha Singh has threatened legal action for defamation, Tripathi and Mishra maintain that the CCTV footage from the entire day, not just the 45-second clip, will prove their claims of administrative harassment and unprovoked aggression.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 10, 2026 07:05 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).