Uber auto-rickshaw driver arrested for sexually harassing Delhi journalist

An Uber auto-rickshaw driver has been arrested for sexually harassing a journalist during a ride from her residence to her friend's place in south Delhi, police said on Friday.

The accused was identified as Vinod Kumar Yadav, 24, a resident of Noida's Sector 123 and native of Bihar's Madhubani.

The incident occurred on Wednesday and the journalist also shared the video of the incident on social media.

According to police, on March 2, at about 11.00 pm,, the journalist, a resident of Bharat Nagar, approached New Friends Colony police station and filed a complaint against a TSR (auto-rickshaw) driver.

"She levelled allegations of indecent behaviour as well as lascivious staring by him, while she was travelling from New Friends Colony to Malviya Nagar on March 1 about 4.40 p.m.. Accordingly, a case under relevant sections of IPC was registered and investigation taken up," said a senior police official.

"The ownership of the auto-rickshaw was procured which was found in the name of Mohd Yunus Khan, a resident of Nehru Camp, Govindpuri. Yunus was questioned and it came to light that the TSR was already purchased by Vinod," said the official.

"Meanwhile technical surveillance was also applied and Vinod was detained and interrogated and he was confirmed to be the alleged and hence arrested. All legal formalities including statement under section 164 Code of Criminal Procedure was completed," said the official, adding that further investigation is in progress.

Earlier, Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) Chairperson Swati Maliwal has also issued notice to Uber India and Delhi Police over the incident.

"Notice has been issued to Uber India and Delhi Police over the unfortunate incident of molestation of a female journalist in an Uber Auto in Delhi," Maliwal tweeted.

Narrating her ordeal on Twitter, the woman journalist said that when she boarded an auto-rickshaw from her residence in New Friends Colony to Malviya Nagar to visit her friend, the driver, identified as Vinod Kumar, started staring at her inappropriately through the side mirrors of the auto, "precisely at her breasts".

"I took an auto from my home to a friend's place. After a while, I noticed that the driver was looking at me through the side mirrors of the auto, precisely at my breasts. I shifted a bit towards the right and wasn't visible in the left side mirror," she said.

"He then started looking into the right side of the mirror. I then shifted to the extreme left and wasn't visible in any of the mirrors. He then started looking back again and again to see me. I first tried using the safety feature of @uber, but to no avail".

"The first time I dialled the number, the audio wasn't clear. I then confronted him and said that I would raise a complaint. I even asked him to focus on driving. To this, he said, "kardo" (do it) and I then redialed the number but couldn't hear the audio due to poor network".