Mumbai: Ola blacklists driver for molesting banker

Suresh Kumar Yadav

After learning about one of its drivers molesting a woman passenger, cab aggregator Ola acted swiftly against the accused and blacklisted him. On Monday night, the Powai police arrested Suresh Kumar Yadav, 36, who was a driver for Ola, for allegedly molesting a 24-year-old woman during her trip from Nariman Point to Mumbai.

A spokesperson for the company said, "We regret the unfortunate incident that occurred during the ride. We have zero tolerance for such incidents and the driver has been blacklisted from the platform immediately after receiving the complaint. Customer safety is our priority and we are extending full support to the police authorities for further investigation."

Meanwhile, Yadav was produced before the court on Tuesday and remanded in police custody. Senior police inspector of Powai police station Anil Phophale said further inquiry with the accused is going on. A source said Yadav has denied all the allegations made against him, calling them baseless. The incident occurred on Monday, when the woman, who works at a private bank, hired a cab to go to Powai to meet a friend. The woman said in her complaint that she got into the cab, and felt unwell during the journey.

Looking at her condition, the driver asked her to sit in the front seat, so her seat can be outstretched. Once she moved ahead, Yadav allegedly touched her inappropriately on the pretext of stretching the seat. This made the woman uneasy, and she messaged her friend about the incident and shared her location. Once she saw her friend, she left the car and ran. The woman and her friend then approached Powai police station and lodged a complaint against the cab driver.

Cops immediately contacted Yadav and asked him to come to police station. Once he arrived, he was arrested under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code that deal with outraging the modesty of a woman. Cops have got his car and are now trying to get details about his background and past criminal record.

Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates