New Delhi: Minutes after Uber CEO said they will do everything to bring the driver accused of rape to justice, Delhi government has banned with immediate effect all operations by the private cab service on Monday. Delhi court has send the rape accused driver in three days police custody for interrogation.
Earlier, in damage control mode after one of its drivers raped a 25-year-old finance executive in Gurgaon, “What happened over the weekend in New Delhi is horrific. Our entire team’s hearts go out to the victim of this despicable crime. We will do everything, I repeat, everything to help bring this perpetrator to justice and to support the victim and her family in her recovery,” said Uber CEO Travis Kalanick​.
“We will work with the government to establish clear background checks currently absent in their commercial transportation licensing programs. We will also partner closely with the groups who are leading the way on women’s safety here in New Delhi and around the country and invest in technology advances to help make New Delhi a safer city for women,” he added.
Delhi government has banned with immediate effect all operations by Uber in the city following the alleged rape incident.
Home Minister Rajnath Singh described the incident as “extremely unfortunate and shamefulâ€. “I believe that there cannot be more unfortunate or shameful incident. We are saddened by incidents like these. Stern steps need to be taken,” he told reporters. The minister said existing laws needed to be implemented more effectively and efforts should be made to bring about a change in perception in the society.
The driver Shiv Kumar Yadav accused for raping a finance executive in Gurgaon was arrested in 2011 as well on the charges of sexual assault. He had spent seven months in Tihar jail before being acquitted in the case.
The alleged rapist who was arrested in Mathura on Sunday will be produced in Tees Hazari court in Delhi on Monday. The previous charge of assault was completely ignored by Uber cab, which swears by its background checks of drivers, while recruiting him.
Yadav had been working with Uber for 6 months. The Delhi Police is looking at the role of the Uber cab service provider which has been sent a notice under section 161 of Indian Penal Code to join the investigation.
The Delhi Police used 12 teams which were dispatched to Mathura to nab the 32-year-old who was located after a 25-minute chase by tracing his cell number. “We have arrested the accused in the cab case from Mathura and he has been brought to Delhi,” DCP North Madhur Verma said.
According to sources in Delhi Police, there are several lapses on Uber’s part which probably led to this heinous crime being committed.
Every commercial driver needs to have a commercial badge. However, sources say Yadav did not have the badge. It is the responsibility of the cab service provider to get the identity verified through police. The address given by Yadav was not where he used to stay. Even the phone number that he was using was not registered on his name.
There were three drivers who drove the Swift Dzire in which the crime took place. At any given point, Uber didn’t know which of the three was driving as there was only one phone with the Uber app. In fact, after the incident, the police had to download the Uber app and order a cab to reach its 3-room office in Gurgaon.
The crime took place on Friday night when the woman hired the cab and fell asleep in the vehicle. Later, the driver allegedly took her to a desolate spot and raped her.
Â