Another B’luru woman accuses Rapido driver of sexual assault

Bengaluru, Dec 18: In the second such case involving a Rapido driver within days, a woman here has accused a bike driver from the ride-hailing service for allegedly sexually harassing her.

The woman booked the bike over the last weekend to travel from Tin Factory to Koramangala at around 8.30 pm.

In a Reddit post, she said the driver started talking to her during the ride before things went worse for her.

"I was traveling from Tin factory to Koramangala. I booked a Rapido bike at 8.30 p.m. Initially he said his phone battery is dead so he needs my phone to be kept in that stand and see maps. I gave. Later he asked about where I am from, where is my family etc. a lot of drivers are chatty so I simply was replying," she posted on the community discussion forum.

The woman alleged the Rapido driver touched her inappropriately when they had stopped at a petrol pump.

"After that, we stopped at a petrol pump to refill and after sitting he remembered that his key was there. Below the backseat. He felt my thighs cross twice just to fetch that key. I was horrified. I said bhaiyya you could have simply asked for the key to me.

"Later on, after sometime, he sat over my inner thighs, closely sticking his backside to my crotch. And he was pressing it from time to time so hard that it pained. I was horrified by what was just happening. I was so scared. I couldn't even ask him what he was doing. It went for around 20 mins till we reached a crowded area. I was mortified.

"Later on when we came near Ejipura and traffic was there in the inner lanes he had the audacity to rub his feet with mine. In my mind I was simply saying prayers because I knew it is just 3 km more now and I'm home.

“Finally when I asked him to give my phone back and told him to stop. The ordeal stopped after 7-8 minutes as I reached near my place and immediately got down," the woman posted.

The woman complained to Rapido customer care who said they would look into the incident and take serious action against the rider.

The victim later said that Rapido informed her that the driver had been suspended, but did not divulge further details.

Late last month, a Bengaluru woman was sexually assaulted by a Rapido auto driver and was thrown out of the moving vehicle when she defended herself.

In July, police arrested a Rapido driver, who misbehaved with a woman passenger during the ride and even afterwards harassed her over the phone.