Just a few days after an Ola cab driver was arrested for molesting a woman passenger in Bangalore, the ride-hailing service is once again in the news after another cab driver tried to kidnap a female commuter on Wednesday (July 4).
In the latest incident, the woman saved herself by banging on the window of the car, which grabbed the attention of the other motorists at a toll plaza.
Here's how she saved herself
The 30-year-old woman, whose name has been withheld due to security reasons, was travelling to the Kempegowda International Airport when she was abducted by the Ola driver, who has been identified as a 28-year-old Suresh Kumar.
The victim, a resident of Indiranagar, who works at a private company, had booked the cab at around 11:30 pm on Wednesday. She was travelling to Mumbai on work and had to catch a flight at 5:30 am on Thursday (July 5), reported The Times of India.
According to the victim, the cab was reeking of alcohol when she boarded the vehicle.
"I realised the driver was drunk. He kept looking at me through the rear-view mirror. I covered my face with a shawl and pretended to doze. At Yelahanka Junction, he speeded up. I shouted at him to stop the vehicle but he continued," the woman was quoted as saying by the English daily.
"At toll plaza, I started shouting and banging on window which alerted other drivers and saved me," the victim narrated.
The woman was saved by other motorists further down the Ballari Road. Kumar has been arrested by the cops.
The police commended her attempt to save herself. "The woman was brave and showed presence of mind. Else, the driver would have got away with the kidnapping," a senior police said.
Meanwhile, the cab hailing company has apologised to the woman passenger and has fired the accused cabbie. "We are deeply disturbed by the incident. The cab driver has been removed from our platform," said an Ola spokesperson.
