The Thane Rural Police have arrested two people after a 32-year-old woman complained that she was raped by them in a cab.
One of the accused has been identified as the driver of the Ola cab she was travelling in, while the other was apparently a passenger in the vehicle.
The incident took place in the Mira Road area of suburban Mumbai. The driver has been identified as 32-year-old Suresh Pandurang Gosavi, while the passenger has been identified as 31-year-old Umesh Jaswant Zala.
What happened
According to a Mid-Day report, the woman — a resident of Thane — had let her usual bus go at the Anand Nagar bus stop in Mira Road because it was overcrowded. She tried to hail down some local vehicles, but failed.
The report quoted a police officer as saying: "After a while she saw an Ola car, in which a passenger was already seated, coming in her direction. She waved her hand which then stopped. When the driver told her that he was heading in the direction of Thane, and would drop her home, she took a seat in the car."
The cop added: "However, the driver, instead of taking her to Thane they drove the vehicle towards Vasai. The two men in car drove the woman to various places for four hours and the driver allegedly raped her in the car. The two also robbed her of her valuables."
Escape from ordeal
The Mid-Day report added that the duo continued to assault the woman after taking her to a lodge in the Vajreshwari area. She managed to alert the manager of the lodge, who then called the police.
The duo managed to escape by the time the police arrived, but were soon apprehended. They were subsequently arrested, booked for rape and robbery, presented in court on Saturday, December 23, and have been remanded in police custody till December 26.
Meanwhile, ANI has quoted Ola as saying in a statement: "We condemn any act of crime. We can confirm that this incident hasn't occurred on Ola platform. We have extended all support to the authorities."
