Rapido Driver Accused Of Molesting Woman Passenger In Bengaluru, Company Responds
A Rapido auto-rickshaw driver was booked for allegedly molesting a woman passenger by touching her inappropriately during the ride in Bengaluru.
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Rapido released an official statement following the incident. (Representational)
Bengaluru:
Police have registered a case against a Rapido auto-rickshaw driver for allegedly molesting a female passenger by inappropriately touching her during a ride in Bengaluru. The incident occurred last week when the woman had used the app-based service to book transportation from Kumaraswamy Layout near Dayananda Sagar College to her residence.
According to the police report, the driver, identified as Hanumanthappa H Talawar, collected the passenger at approximately 4:30 pm on September 8. During transit, he allegedly made inappropriate remarks, comparing her to a film actress, and offered assistance with her luggage. The situation escalated when the driver touched her forehead, purportedly checking for fever, before proceeding to inappropriately touch her chest area, authorities reported.
When the victim attempted to exit the vehicle, the driver reportedly insisted she remain inside. She eventually managed to push him away, escape from the auto-rickshaw, and make her way home.
After informing her mother about the ordeal, they proceeded to file a police complaint. Based on their statement, authorities registered a sexual harassment case against the driver, who remains at large.
In response to the incident, Rapido issued an official statement addressing the situation and detailing actions taken against the driver.
"We are deeply disturbed by the incident reported in Bengaluru. No one should ever feel unsafe or harassed while using our platform. Upon learning of the matter, we immediately reached out to the passenger to offer support and assured her of strict action. The captain has since then been permanently suspended and blacklisted from Rapido to ensure he cannot take rides in the future. We are also reinforcing refresher training across our fleet to maintain professional conduct and prevent such incidents from recurring," the statement read.
The company further stated, "We are fully cooperating with all investigating authorities and will provide all possible support to ensure that justice is delivered. The trust and safety of our passengers, especially women, are non-negotiable at Rapido; we maintain a strict zero-tolerance policy against any form of harassment. We also have multiple safeguards in place, including post-10:00 pm safety calls to women riders to confirm ride completion, 24x7 in-app SOS support with rapid escalation, and continuous safety reminders urging riders to verify vehicle and captain details before every trip."