Woman Reportedly Raped by Uber Driver in India

According to police in India, a driver for Uber was arrested for allegedly raping one of his passengers.

A woman told police she used the service to get a ride home to Gurgaon, outside New Delhi, after a dinner. Her driver then reportedly switched off his phone to remain untraceable, veered off the intended route and then raped her. He then dropped her off at home after attacking her, warning her not to go to the police. The woman managed to get his driver number and photograph his car, police said. The suspect who is originally from Uttar Pradesh will face charges in a New Dehli court on Monday. Reuters reports that police also say they will pursue charges against Uber for not running a proper background check on the driver, among other things.

Verma said the police would take legal action against Uber for violations including a failure to check whether the driver, named as Shiv Kumar Yadav, had a clean police record and the lack of a satellite location device in his car.

“Every violation by Uber will be evaluated and we will go for legal recourse,” said Verma, saying police would take legal advice before opting to press a criminal or civil case.

According to The New York Times, Yadav lives alone and has no criminal history.

In July, an Uber driver in Seattle was accused of raping and kidnapping a passenger. The company has previously been criticized for a lukewarm interest in properly vetting drivers, not to mention orchestrating campaigns against journalists who speak out about said issues.

Following news of the arrest, protests broke out in New Delhi as people demanded action, according to Time:

Students swarmed the New Delhi police headquarters to protest inadequate attention by the Indian government to sexual violence against women. Rape incidents in the capital have been on the rise, even as Indian lawmakers doubled prison sentences for rapists in the wake of the horrific 2012 fatal gang rape of a young New Delhi woman, whose death stirred an international outcry.

An Uber spokesperson said the company suspended the driver, as per their policy.