Kalyan: A 19-year-old Rapido bike taxi driver has been arrested for allegedly molesting and robbing a 26-year-old female passenger on Kalyan's deserted stretch. The incident occurred on Saturday evening, December 13, when the woman had booked a Rapido bike-taxi ride to travel to her gym near Kalyan railway station at around 7 PM. A video shared on social media also showed the local residents detaining the Rapido bike taxi rider and assaulting him.
According to the TOI report, the accused, identified as Siddhesh Pardeshi, was employed with Rapido for the last one and a half months.
Here's What Happened
The accused accepted the ride and picked up the 26-year-old near the Chikan Ghar area. During the ride, instead of the drop-off destination, he diverted the scooter towards a deserted, dark stretch, where he allegedly stopped, grabbed her hand, and misbehaved with her.
According to the report, he also snatched her purse and took Rs 1000 from it. After raising a cry for help, residents rushed to rescue her. A video was also shared by Janshakti Tv News, which showed the local residents detaining the Rapido bike taxi rider and assaulting him. The woman, who alleged that she was molested, is also seen kicking the accused in anger. She further claimed that the driver was carrying a knife and an acid spray. Moreover, the residents then handed him over to the Mahatma Phule Police.
Accused Remanded To Police Custody Till December 18
When the accused was produced before a holiday court, it remanded him to police custody till December 18. In addition to this, the police are also probing whether the 19-year-old was involved in other similar cases of molestation or robbery.
This case also comes amid the time last week when Mumbai Police filed FIRs against the directors of The Roppen Transportation Services Pvt Ltd (Rapido) and Ola, for allegedly operating bike-taxi services illegally within Mumbai city without a licence or permission from the Maharashtra State Government or the Regional Transport Authority (RTA). According to the FIR, both Rapido and Ola have not received any permission from the government and were operating their vehicles via mobile applications, facilitating passenger transport without the requisite approvals and allegedly earning financial gains.
RTO Penalises 47 Rapido Bike Taxi Riders For Illegal Operations In Kalyan-Dombivli
The Regional Transport Office (RTO) in Kalyan took action against 47 two-wheeler riders associated with the app-based bike taxi service Rapido for violations of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. The operation was carried out across Kalyan and Dombivli, resulting in the collection of fines exceeding 1 lakh from the errant riders. To get details on exclusive and budget-friendly property deals in Mumbai & surrounding regions, do visit: https://budgetproperties.in/
According to Kalyan Deputy Regional Transport Officer Ashutosh Barkul, the riders were found providing passenger transport services on two-wheelers without the mandatory permissions and licences prescribed under law.
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