A driver employed with ride-hailing service Ola was arrested recently following a complaint that he molested a woman passenger, forced her to strip, clicked photos of her in that condition and then circulated them on WhatsApp.
The incident reportedly took place around 2 am on Friday, June 1. The 26-year-old woman who was allegedly molested informed the police soon after.
The cops are said to have nabbed the driver, identified as one Arun V, within three hours of receiving the complaint. They also conducted further probe into the incident to ascertain the victim's claims.
The incident brought back memories of how a driver with Ola's rival ride-hailing service Uber was accused of harassing a woman after locking her in the cab.
Early-morning ordeal
The Bengaluru International Airport lies on the outskirts of the city, and one has to cross a toll booth to get there. Friday's incident took place after Arun allegedly took a detour from this toll booth – instead of going straight – and told his passenger it was an alternate route.
The woman, in her complaint to the police, said Arun stopped the car at a secluded place and locked her in the vehicle. She said he then assaulted her, took away her phone and threatened to call friends who would rape her.
He then reportedly forced her to strip, took photos of her and shared the images on WhatsApp. The frightened woman pleaded with Arun to let her go, and promised not to tell anyone about what her transpired. Arun then dropped her at the airport, after which she filed a complaint with the police.
Police issue notice to Ola
After the driver's arrest, senior Bengaluru police officer Seemant Kumar Singh was quoted by NDTV as saying: "Based on a mail from the woman, we have registered an FIR. We appreciate the lady for immediately informing the police, bravely."
He added: "We have issued notice to Ola Cabs asking why the police verification of this driver was not done."
Meanwhile, an Ola spokesperson said: "We regret the unfortunate experience the customer had during the ride. We have zero tolerance for such incidents and the driver has been blacklisted from the platform as an immediate action."
