The Uber cab in which the woman was raped
A driver with popular taxi service Uber has been arrested in Mathura for allegedly raping a woman passenger on Friday night. Shiv Kumar Yadav, 32, had been driving with Uber for six months. He will be produced before a Delhi court today.
The 27-year-old woman, who works with a finance company, hired the cab in Vasant Vihar in south Delhi on Friday night after dining with friends. The woman in her complaint, which does not mention Uber, said that after getting into the cab, a Maruti Suzuki Dzire, she fell asleep and woke up to find the car parked at a secluded spot. The driver then allegedly raped her.
She told the police that the driver then dropped her near her home in north Delhi and threatened to shove an iron rod inside her, in a chilling reminder of the December 2012 gang-rape, if she complained.
Medical tests have confirmed the financial executive was raped, said police, adding that the driver switched off his phone after committing the crime. Police said that when they reached the company's office on Saturday, they had to wait for three hours to get information from them. They also said that Uber never tried to contact the driver or the woman.
In a statement this evening, Uber said, "This is an abhorrent crime. Our thoughts remain with the victim who has shown tremendous courage under the circumstances. Upon being notified of this incident, our team immediately provided the local authorities with all relevant details." (
Read Uber's Statement)
But according to the police, had safeguards been put in place by Uber, the unfortunate incident would not have taken place. They say that Yadav did not undergo police verification which is mandatory for cab drivers, and the company did not conduct any background check on him.
Yadav also did not have a Public Service Vehicle (PSV) licence issued by the Delhi Transport Authority, which is mandatory for all drivers plying commercial vehicles and there was no mandatory Global Positioning System or GPS installed in the car used by Yadav, police said.
The only link Uber had with the driver, police said, was a phone given to him by the company with the app pre-installed on it. But since the mobile phone was switched off, it became impossible to track the driver. (
Read: 5 Major Lapses by Uber, Alleges Police)
The police have asked Uber to officially join investigations from tomorrow and police sources say a case of negligence can be registered against the cab company. (
Read: How Uber Tracks Where Driver And You Are)