Navi Mumbai, September 7, 2026: A 23-year-old woman alleged that a cab driver attempted to sexually assault her after stopping the vehicle on a deserted service road barely two kilometres from Navi Mumbai International Airport in the early hours of Sunday.
The woman resisted and raised an alarm, following which the driver allegedly fled the spot. The Airport police detained the cab driver on Monday morning.
Police Examine Sequence Of Events
However, a prima facie investigation has raised questions about the sequence of events alleged by the woman. According to the route map details provided by the cab aggregator, the cab had reached the woman's home in Panvel, indicating that the driver had dropped her there.
The driver has also claimed that he dropped the woman home and that she had been arguing with a male friend over the phone throughout the journey.
“We are investigating these claims and collecting evidence,” a police officer privy to the investigation said.
The woman, a resident of Sainagar in Panvel, had gone to Chembur with her friends for a party on Saturday night. After the party, one of her friends booked an Ola cab for her to return home. The cab driver was taking her to Panvel when the alleged incident occurred.
Alleged Incident Near Airport
According to her complaint, at around 1.30 am, the cab reached a service road between Ulwe and Chinchpada, near the Navi Mumbai International Airport. The area was deserted at the time. She alleged that the driver stopped the vehicle by the roadside and got out on the pretext of drinking water.
She further alleged that after returning to the cab, the driver moved to the back seat and sat beside her. He allegedly grabbed her hand.
The woman allegedly resisted the driver and raised an alarm before managing to get out of the vehicle. The driver then allegedly fled from the spot, she claimed.
The woman subsequently informed her family and approached the Panvel police station. As the alleged incident fell under the jurisdiction of the Navi Mumbai Airport police station, Panvel police sent her to the Airport police station.
Case Registered Under BNS
The Airport police registered a case under Section 74 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, which deals with assault or use of criminal force against a woman with intent to outrage her modesty.
The police team, under the guidance of Senior Police Inspector Arjun Rajane, conducted a technical investigation and traced the cab driver.
Police added that he was traced and apprehended while he was on a ride with another passenger in his vehicle and had neither fled nor attempted to flee and was unaware of allegations against him.
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Police are now examining the route data supplied by the cab aggregator, the driver's version and other available evidence to establish what transpired during the journey.
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