Bengaluru: Ola-driver molests, threatens gangrape if woman didn't strip
What's the story
In a traumatic incident, a Bengaluru-based architect was molested, forced to strip and have her nude pictures clicked by her Ola driver, who threatened to get her gangraped if she didn't comply. After the harrowing experience, she begged him to release her and promised she wouldn't tell anyone. But showing bravery, she contacted police soon after he let her go. He was nabbed within hours.
Case
The woman had booked a cab to the airport
The incident happened on June 1. The 26-year-old had booked a cab from her JB Nagar residence to the airport at 2am. Soon, she realized her driver, Arun V, had taken a different route. When she asked, he said it was faster and toll-free. But after he took a detour from the airport route, she noticed he had locked the doors and started fidgeting.
Crime
When she refused to comply, he tried strangling her
Before she could click the emergency button on Ola, he snatched her phone away, stopped the car and started molesting her. When she resisted, he threatened he would call his friends to rape her. He then tried to click her pictures, but when she refused, he strangled her. He then took the photos on her phone and sent them to himself on WhatsApp.
Police
She informed police soon after she was released
After much pleading, the accused agreed to let her go, and said he'd leak her photos if she told anyone. He dropped her at the airport around 3am. She took her flight to Mumbai, and after arrival, wrote an email to the city police commissioner along with the driver's details. The police immediately got into action and successfully nabbed him within three hours.
Ola
Ola blacklists driver, but why verification not done, police ask
Ola said they have blacklisted the driver. "We've zero tolerance for such incidents. Safety of customers is our top-priority. We're extending full support to police." But a notice has been sent to the company on why police-verification of the driver hadn't been done, said Senior Officer Seemant Kumar Singh. Meanwhile, the accused has been booked for assault, voyeurism and attempt to murder, among others.