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Indian woman reportedly raped by Uber driver

December 7, 2014

Police in the Indian capital have arrested an Uber driver who allegedly raped a 25-year-old executive. The woman was coming back home from a party on Friday.

https://p.dw.com/p/1E0RX
Rape in new Delhi
Image: AP

A driver for the pay-per-ride company Uber reportedly raped a 25-year-old woman in New Delhi on Friday when the finance executive decided to use the app after having dinner with her friends.

The executive said she fell asleep on the ride and found the car parked in a lonely place when she woke up. The driver raped her, threatening to hit her with a rod if she resisted, she said. He then dropped her home.

New Delhi police registered a case of rape and recovered the car. The Press Trust of India quoted a police officer who said that the woman had managed to take a picture of the car's number plate before alerting authorities.

Low security for Uber riders

Deepak Mishra, special police commissioner, said his men were hunting the driver, who abandoned the car and fled after attacking the woman. "The driver, who has been identified, is being traced by the police teams on the ground, and we are optimistic that he will be arrested soon," Mishra told reporters.

He also criticized Uber for its lax security measures: "Our investigations have revealed the shortcomings of the private cab company which didn't have a GPS installed in its cabs and the staff wasn't verified."

Meanwhile, the company released a statement saying it worked with licensed drivers to provide transportation and that it had several "layers of safeguards." An Uber spokeswoman said that her company was "with the victim of this terrible crime" and that it was working with the police on the investigation.

Uber lets customers order and pay for taxis or private vehicles using a smartphone app. The firm has been the subject of privacy concerns after it was accused of tracking riders in the United States.

The company is trying to spread its influence in the Indian market by attracting young urban professionals and guaranteeing safe rides for women, especially after the brutal gang rape of a young physiotherapist sparked international shock and outrage two years ago.

mg/mkg (dpa, AFP)