London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, May 31, 2025

Uber driver dies from Covid-19 after hiding it over fear of eviction

Uber driver dies from Covid-19 after hiding it over fear of eviction

Rajesh Jayaseelan ‘starved’ himself, friend says, because he feared landlord finding out he was ill
An Uber driver has died from Covid-19 after trying to hide his illness for fear that he would be evicted if his landlord found out, a friend has revealed.

Rajesh Jayaseelan, a married father of two who came to London from India about a decade ago, died alone in Northwick Park hospital in Harrow on 11 April, according to Sunil Kumar, a friend of his.

The 44-year-old driver had “starved” for several days in his rented lodgings, telling his wife by phone that he did not want to leave his room because other residents might realise he had Covid-19 and he would be thrown out.

Kumar, 38, an NHS IT worker, said the fear was founded in an experience in March when a previous landlord allegedly ordered him to leave because he thought Jayaseelan, as a minicab driver, would spread the disease to him and his family. Jayaseelan had to sleep in his car for several nights.

By the time he drove himself to hospital earlier this month, his condition was becoming critical and he was placed on a ventilator. He died shortly after his wife and mother in Bangalore saw him unconscious in a final video call arranged by Kumar.

Jayaseelan is the third Uber driver confirmed to have died from Covid-19 in the capital, but there have been reports of several more. Zeeshan Ahmed, a father of two young children in his late 20s, died in St George’s Hospital in Tooting on Thursday. He had underlying health problems, a friend said.

“He is young, he left a young wife and children and he was the only child of his parents,” the friend told the Guardian. “He was a great person, very charming and full of life.”

Ayub Akhtar died last week of complications relating to Covid-19. Abdurzak Hadi, another driver who fell seriously ill, said the lack of clear guidelines and protection for minicab drivers left them highly vulnerable.

Some have improvised plastic barriers between the front and back seats, but many have not, concerned that doing so might breach their licence, Hadi said.

“We think that there have been at least six deaths of minicab drivers and there have been countless numbers ill, some critically,” said Yaseen Aslam, general secretary of the United Private Hire Drivers’ Association. “It is very distressing. The migrant workers in particular are vulnerable because they feel forced to work because they are not entitled to government benefits.”

Uber confirmed the deaths of Akhtar and Jayaseelan, saying it was “deeply saddened”. The Guardian has asked for comment about Ahmed.

“Our hearts go out to their loved ones and to everyone suffering during this unprecedented time,” said Jamie Heywood, Uber’s regional general manager for northern and eastern Europe.

Uber last month said it would compensate drivers with up to £100 per week for up to 14 days if they were diagnosed with Covid-19, placed in quarantine or asked to self-isolate.

Kumar said Jayaseelan came from poverty and had hoped to move his family to London but could not yet afford to. He would travel to Bangalore to see his mother, wife and children, aged four and six, for two months each year. He had been worried about catching coronavirus last month and called Kumar asking how to stay safe.

“That’s when he told me that his landlord had told him to leave because he feared that with him being a driver he could bring the virus back and infect the landlord and his family,” Kumar said. “He gave him immediate notice and he had to spend a few nights in his car.”

Around 20 March, Jayaseelan was admitted to Northwick Park hospital with dehydration but was discharged after receiving intravenous fluids, Kumar said. It appears that he went back to work and his last fare was at Heathrow airport on 25 March, after which point he fell ill again.

“He was finding it difficult to breathe,” Kumar said. “He told his wife he wished he had someone that could look after him even for a week and give him some food and take care of him. In the last week he really starved. He was in a room by himself and didn’t come out because he didn’t want people to see him [being ill].”

When his condition worsened, he refused to call an ambulance because that might alert others to his sickness and cause him to be thrown out again, Kumar said.

Shortly before he died, the hospital managed to contact Kumar, who arranged for a video call with his family. Jayaseelan died on 11 April.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
Russia's Fossil Fuel Revenues Approach €900 Billion Since Ukraine Invasion
U.S. Justice Department Reduces American Bar Association's Role in Judicial Nominations
U.S. Department of Energy Unveils 'Doudna' Supercomputer to Advance AI Research
U.S. SEC Dismisses Lawsuit Against Binance Amid Regulatory Shift
Alcohol Industry Faces Increased Scrutiny Amid Health Concerns
Italy Faces Population Decline Amid Youth Emigration
U.S. Goods Imports Plunge Nearly 20% Amid Tariff Disruptions
OpenAI Faces Competition from Cheaper AI Rivals
Foreign Tax Provision in U.S. Budget Bill Alarms Investors
Trump Accuses China of Violating Trade Agreement
Gerry Adams Wins Libel Case Against BBC
Russia Accuses Serbia of Supplying Arms to Ukraine
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
Chinese Woman Dies After Being Forced to Visit Bank Despite Critical Illness
President Trump Grants Full Pardons to Reality TV Stars Todd and Julie Chrisley
Texas Enacts App Store Accountability Act Mandating Age Verification
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Vatican Calls for Sustainable Tourism in 2025 Message
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Trump Threatens 25% Tariff on iPhones Amid Dispute with Apple CEO
Putin's Helicopter Reportedly Targeted by Ukrainian Drones
Liverpool Car Ramming Incident Leaves Multiple Injured
Australia Faces Immigration Debate Following Labor Party Victory
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
Macron Dismisses Viral Video of Wife's Gesture as Playful Banter
Cleveland Clinic Study Questions Effectiveness of Recent Flu Vaccine
Netanyahu Accuses Starmer of Siding with Hamas
Junior Doctors Threaten Strike Over 4% Pay Offer
Labour MPs Urge Chancellor to Tax Wealthy Over Cutting Welfare
Publication of UK Child Poverty Strategy Delayed Until Autumn
France Detains UK Fishing Vessel Amid Post-Brexit Tensions
Calls Grow to Resume Syrian Asylum Claims in UK
Nigel Farage Pledges to Reinstate Winter Fuel Payments
Boris and Carrie Johnson Welcome Daughter Poppy
×