The Bengaluru police on Sunday, July 23, arrested a Rapido bike taxi driver for allegedly sexually harassing a woman activist who had booked a ride via the app. The activist took to Twitter to share the incident in a series of tweets on Friday, to which the police responded and took action. The accused has been identified as Kuruvettappa, who is a mason and was filling in for his friend, according to a Times of India report.
As per the activist’s account, she had booked a Rapido ride to her home after participating in a protest at the Bengaluru Town Hall held against the violence in Manipur. She said the driver arrived on a different bike and claimed that the one registered with the app was being serviced. She proceeded with the ride after confirming her booking through his app.
However, as the vehicle reached a remote location during the journey, the man allegedly started masturbating while riding the bike. She did not react to this because she feared for her safety, and remained silent through the ordeal, she said. She eventually asked him to drop her around 200 metres away from her house to conceal the exact location of her house from him. Even after the ride was over, he began to relentlessly call and message her on WhatsApp, she alleged, adding that he kept doing this from different numbers after she blocked him.
Questioning the Rapido bike app on the measures the company has taken for the background verification of drivers, the complainant also demanded that the company prioritise user’s safety. Deputy Commissioner of Police (South-East) CK Baba confirmed the arrest on social media.