Shiv Kumar Yadav, the Uber cab driver who allegedly raped a woman passenger. (File photo)
The Uber rape case, which shook the country last month, came up for hearing today and is all set to be transferred to a fast track court.
The Delhi police, which had filed the charge-sheet against accused Shiv Kumar Yadav within just 19 days, requested that the case be handled by a fast-track court.
The case, in which Yadav had allegedly raped a 27-year-old finance executive just a few kilometers from her home on December 5, had triggered nationwide outrage. Ride-sharing app Uber, with which Yadav had been registered, had drawn fire too for failing to deliver on its promise of safety.
Uber had not conducted any background checks on Yadav, who had a string of sexual assault and cases against him. Uber had also not insisted on the installation on any tracking device in the car. Yadav was given a cellphone with GPS installed, which he had turned off before allegedly raping the woman.
Yadav was arrested on December 7 from Mathura in a joint operation by Delhi and Uttar Pradesh police. The 150-page charge-sheet against him include charges of rape, kidnapping, criminal intimidation among others. The police have relied on forensic evidence and placed on record the route map of the car in which the offence was committed.
Today, the court criticised Yadav's counsel for putting forth useless arguments and trying to unnecessarily delay the proceedings. The defence had submitted a petition, asking for special security and requesting that the court stop the media from carrying out a parallel trial.
The court turned down both pleas, saying, "There is no visible injury on the accused and these are useless tactics to delay trial, prosecuting authority are doing their work very well."
The prosecuting authorities are doing their job very well since the arrest and are taking full care of the accused, the court also said.