Rapido Ride Turns Into Nightmare: Woman Jumps Off Scooter As Driver Deviates From Route & Molests Her in Kalyan

Kalyan: A 19-year-old Rapido driver has been arrested for allegedly molesting and threatening a woman in Maharashtra's Kalyan on Saturday. The shocking incident has raised fresh concerns for the safety of women hailing rides from transport apps in India.

As per reports, the woman had booked a Rapido two-wheeler to travel from Sampada Hospital to her gym near the Kalyan railway station. The driver, identified as Siddhesh Pardeshi, accepted her ride request and arrived to pick her up on a scooter. During the ride, the woman reportedly noticed that Pardeshi had diverted from the route and was travelling towards an isolated area.

Woman Jumps Off Scooter

After realising that the driver had diverted from the designated route, the woman argued with the driver. Apparently sensing a wrong motive of the driver, the woman jumped off the moving two-wheeler to save herself from any possible danger.

Driver Robs & Assaults Woman

The driver reportedly took the woman to a secluded area and took Rs 1,000 from her by threatening her with a knife. The driver also reportedly tried to steal her jewellery after assaulting her.

Woman Cries For Help

The woman cried for help as she tried to free herself from the Rapido driver. Luckily, people who were in the nearby area heard her scream and rushed to the spot to help her. A video from the scene showed the driver being beaten by a large group of people. A woman was also seen slapping and hitting the driver on road. Following the ruckus on road, the driver was handed over to the police, who remanded him in custody.

Maharashtra Govt Calls Urgent Meeting

Maharashtra State Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik has taken cognisance of the incident. The minister has convened an urgent meeting of the Motor Transport Department at 10:30 am on Wednesday in his chamber at Mantralaya. The transport ministry said organisations such as Rapido, Ola and Uber are illegally ferrying passengers by flouting the law.

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