Rapido Driver Masturbated Mid-Ride, Harassed On Text, Bengaluru Woman Alleges. Man Arrested

Taking note of the incident, the official handle of Bengaluru Police tweeted, “FIR has been registered in Electronic City PS and the accused has been arrested."

The bike driver has been arrested by the Bengaluru Police.

New Delhi: Bengaluru Police arrested a Rapido bike driver on Saturday after a woman alleged that he masturbated during the ride and harassed her on Whatsapp after the journey. The incident reportedly took place on Friday when she hailed the bike taxi after attending a protest against Manipur violence at Town Hall.

Taking note of the incident, the official handle of Bengaluru Police tweeted, “FIR has been registered in Electronic City PS and the accused has been arrested."

Update: FIR has been registered in Electronic City PS and the accused has been arrested. https://t.co/3jmcTpu5bJ

— ಬೆಂಗಳೂರು ನಗರ ಪೊಲೀಸ್‌ BengaluruCityPolice (@BlrCityPolice) July 23, 2023

Athira Purushothaman took to Twitter to share her ordeal on Friday. She also shared a screenshot of the messages she received from the driver on WhatsApp, which included a text saying 'love you.'

According to her, the Rapido driver arrived for the ride on a different bike than the one registered on the app, saying that the registered bike was under servicing. Despite this, she proceeded with the journey after confirming the ride through the app.

“Surprisingly, the driver arrived on a different bike, explaining that the one registered with @rapidobikeapp was under servicing. I confirmed my booking through his app and proceeded with the ride," she said in a series of tweets.

The victim wrote, "During the journey, we reached a remote area with no other vehicles around. Shockingly, the driver began riding with one hand and engaging in inappropriate behavior (Masturbating while riding the bike). Fearing for my safety, I remained silent throughout the ordeal."

The victim further stated, “I asked him to drop me 200 meters before my actual destination to conceal my home location. Once the ride was over, he started relentlessly calling and messaging me on WhatsApp. I had to block his number to stop the harassment."

Thread 🧵#SexualHarassement
Today, I went for the Manipur Violence protest at Town Hall Bangalore and booked a @rapidobikeapp auto for my way back home. However, multiple auto cancellations led me to opt for a bike instead. pic.twitter.com/bQkw4i7NvO

— Athira Purushothaman (@Aadhi_02) July 21, 2023

She further questioned Rapido's safety measures and added that the person kept on calling her from several numbers. "@rapidobikeapp, what measures are you taking for background verification? Your users' safety should be a top priority. Please ensure that people registered with your service can be trusted for a safe travel experience. He keeps calling me from different numbers even now!" she tweeted.