Uber Assisting Police Following Allegations Of Rape Against One Of Its Drivers In Indian
A 26-year-old woman reported that she was sexually assaulted and beaten by her Uber driver late Friday night, before he dropped her off at her house.
The driver reportedly switched off his phone after the incident, but Uber provided police with his license details, address, vehicle information, and trip details. The driver was arrested Sunday morning in his home, about 100 miles from Delhi, The Gaurdian reports, and will appear in court on Monday.
Uber launched in India in last fall, and now operates in ten cities across the country. In November, it rolled out a service called UberGO for short trips for providing a "smarter, cheaper and safer way to get around your city." The company - which just raised $1.2 billion at a $41 billion valuation - competes mainly with local service Ola Cabs, which has raised roughly $277 million and operates in 19 cities.
In its response to the allegations this morning, Uber writes that safety is its "#1 priority in India," and that "Uber exclusively partners with registered for-hire drivers who have undergone the commercial licensing process, hold government issued IDs, state-issued permits, and carry full commercial insurance."
However, deputy commissioner with the Delhi police, Madhur Verma, told Reuters that there has been "a lot of negligence in terms of security" on Uber's part.
"We will continue to cooperate fully with law enforcement officials in their investigation to bring this crime to justice," Uber's Ahmed writes.
Here's the full post from Uber:
Business Insider reached out to Uber for more details about its screening process and for how it could further promote safety in India and will update according.