Delhi – A day after, the Uber cab driver who allegedly beat up and raped a 27-year-old woman in Delhi, was arrested by the Delhi Police in Mathura today.
The accused allegedly raped the woman, working for a company in Gurgaon, when she was on her way home in north Delhi from the Vasant Vihar locality on Friday night.
The incident was reported around 1.25 am on Saturday. The vehicle was recovered from Mathura, in Uttar Pradesh, on Saturday. The driver has been identified as Shiv Kumar (32), who works for Uber, a US-based cab service that allows users to book rides using a smartphone application. The police will present him in the Tis Hazari court in Delhi tomorrow.
The police have also issued a notice to Uber to join investigations. The driver did not have a driving licence issued by the Delhi Transport Authority and the only link the service provider had with him was a smartphone app, the police said.
Uber posted a statement after the incident on its website: “Our thoughts are with the victim of this terrible crime and we are working with the police as they investigate. We will assist them. It is also our policy to immediately suspend a driver’s account following allegations of a serious incident, which we have done.”
According to reports, the woman, who works with a finance company in Gurgaon, was returning home when the incident occurred. “The woman had gone to a restaurant for dinner with some friends after her shift ended on Friday evening. She took a cab till Vasant Vihar from where she took another cab to her home,” said the police, citing the complaint filed by the victim.
On the way, she fell asleep in the cab. The driver then allegedly stopped the car in a dark area and attempted to rape her. The woman raised the alarm but since it was a secluded spot, nobody came to her rescue. The driver allegedly assaulted her sexually and thrashed her. The woman said she tried to fight back, but the accused overpowered her. He reportedly told her that if she shouted for help, he would insert a rod in her genitals.
The driver reportedly told the woman that he would drop her home safely only if she promised him that she would not report the matter.
Earlier in the day, police issued a notice to the managing director of Uber services under Section 161 of the CrPC to join the investigation and explain the security lapses. The company will be held liable for negligence, officials said.