Another Bengaluru woman faces sexual harassment from Rapido driver

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: The never- ending sexual harassment from the Rapido drivers, an online bike and auto taxi’s, in Bengaluru, surfaced again, cautioning against the safety of women.

The recent incident happened on Friday, a few months after a similar incident occurred where a woman had to jump off the Rapido bike as the driver allegedly groped her. Responding to her ordeal the Bengaluru City Police booked Kuruvetappa Shivappa, 23, a mason from Haveri.

However, the findings of the police revealed shocking details that the accused allegedly masqueraded as the Rapido driver using his roommate’s account.

According to the South East DCP C K Baba, the accused was booked under Section 354 A (sexual harassment), 354 D (Stalking), and 294 (Singing, reciting or uttering any obscene songs, ballad or bad words, in or near any public place) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Victim’s ordeal

Athira Purushothaman, the victim of the recent incident shared her ordeal on Twitter, where she alleged the rider masturbated while driving the vehicle with another hand.

She also said the rider had appeared in a different vehicle than what was registered on his profile on the taxi application.

“He explained that the registered vehicle was in service. I confirmed the booking through the office and proceeded to ride. During the journey, we reached a remote area where there were no vehicles around and he began masturbating. Fearing my safety, I remained silent throughout the ordeal”, she tweeted.

Her ordeal didn’t end there as she accused the rider of texting her on WhatsApp. In a photo grab she shared as proof, the rider sent her a text that read “Love You”, along with smileys.

However, the Bengaluru City Police assured her of swift and necessary actions. “This is not an isolated incident with Rapido, and I'm determined to pursue legal action against the driver and demand an investigation into Rapidos' safety measures”, she tweeted later after the arrest of the accused.

Meanwhile, the women’s rights activists raised concerns about the safety of women in the city. It is to be noted that Karnataka topped the list of the most unsafe places for women.

The crimes against women in the state were higher in 2021 than in any other year in the state.

The recent report by the Bahutva Karnataka, a civil society, revealed that analysis of data from the police for the period between Jan 2018 and Dec 2022 shows that more than 25,000 cases of sexual violence and molestation have been filed at an average of 500 every month.