A 42-year-old Ola cab driver from Bengaluru’s Shantinagar has been taken into custody for sexually assaulting a 27-year-old woman passenger from Assam. The incident happened at Avalahalli between 12:30 and 1:40 am on 10th June (Wednesday). The accused, Isub, is a resident of Vinayakanagar and a native of Ballari. The victim had reserved a taxi to travel from Narayanapura to her place. She works as a housekeeper in Bengaluru.
The culprit was arrested by the police based on the specifics of the cab bookings and had been remanded under judicial custody. A case has been filed for assault or use of criminal force against a woman with the intent to disrobe under section 76 and sexual harassment under section 75(1) of BNS.
The woman was seated in the back seat and observed that the perpetrator was not following the path indicated on the maps. He acknowledged using a different route, claiming that the usual road was congested. He then abruptly halted the cab after arriving at a remote location in the dark, close to Aduru Cross at around 1:30 am. Afterwards, he moved to the back seat, restrained her and began molesting her. He groped her and even attempted to undress her.
The complainant protested against the offender’s advances, started to scream for help and even called her husband, stating, “Yeh driver mujhe maar dalega, maar dalega (This driver will kill me, kill me),” reported The Times of India. However, he was able to escape after shoving her out of the vehicle. She grabbed his collar through the window in an effort to stop him, but he managed to flee.
The woman’s actions helped generate a trail of evidence and notify others. Her spouse had also started looking for her and called the 112-emergency service. A bystander who had seen her crying decided to stay with her until authorities arrived. Her statement has been recorded by the police, and the matter is now under investigation.
