19-Year-Old Rapido Driver Arrested for Molesting and Robbing Female Passenger in Thane District

A 19-year-old Rapido bike taxi driver was apprehended on Sunday after allegedly molesting a female passenger and stealing money from her in Thane district near Mumbai.

According to Mahatma Phule police station senior inspector Baliramsingh Pardeshi, the suspect Siddhesh Pardeshi, who dropped out after class VII, was arrested for the incident that occurred on Saturday evening.

The victim, a 26-year-old woman, had booked a ride from Chickenghar area to her gym near Kalyan railway station at around 7pm. However, instead of taking her to the destination, the driver diverted the scooter to a deserted, poorly lit area near the police colony in Syndicate area.

When the passenger protested, the driver stopped the vehicle, grabbed her hand and behaved inappropriately. He also took her purse and stole Rs 1,000 from it. The woman's cries for help attracted nearby residents who intervened, apprehended the driver, and handed him over to authorities. Police later recovered a knife from the accused.

The driver, who had been working with Rapido for approximately one and a half months, has been remanded in police custody until December 18. Authorities are investigating whether he has been involved in similar offenses previously.

In response to the incident, the state transport department issued a statement requesting explanations from ride-hailing services including Rapido, Ola, and Uber, which they claim are "illegally transporting passengers by flouting the law." The department is considering whether temporary licenses granted to these companies should be revoked.

Transport department officials mentioned that state transport minister Pratap Sarnaik has scheduled a meeting on Tuesday to address this incident and other alleged violations by ride-sharing services.