NEW DELHI: A day after the Uber taxi service was banned in the capital as a follow-up to an alleged rape of a working woman by the driver of one of its vehicles, the Home Ministry on Tuesday sent an advisory to all State and union territory governments to ban all unregistered and Internet-based cab booking services.
More cases involving the arrested accused driver, Shiv Kumar Yadav, tumbled out even as his lawyer protested that Delhi Police was not providing him even the FIR registered and alleged that his client was being framed. He is alleged to be involved in at least four more cases, apart from the two already known — the Friday rape incident and the 2011 rape case.
Another case of rape was filed against Yadav in 2013, while he was out on bail in three other cases — two molestations registered in 2009 and an Arms Act case of 2006.
These cases came to light even as his lawyer Alok Dubey claimed he was certainly arrested in a rape case in 2011, but he was acquitted with a clean character certificate. “This is a conspiracy against my client. The police issued the certificate, and now, they are denying that the officer who signed it was posted at that station,” he said.
Delhi Police Commissioner BS Bassi, however, said the so-called character certificate was forged and an FIR has been filed against the driver for forging it. “Character certificate given by the driver was forged; officer whose signature is on the certificate wasn’t on duty on the day of the signature. A case has been registered for this forgery and investigation is on, Bassi said.
The Police Commissioner met Home Minister Rajnath Singh in the Parliament House complex to brief him about the rape case that was later raised by the Opposition in both the Houses. Speaking to reporters after meeting the Home Minister, the Delhi Police chief said they have ordered verification of all drivers contracted with cab service providers. Also, the Delhi Police is consulting legal advisers for registering a case of criminal culpability against Uber, he said.
On learning that the Uber cabs were still plying in the capital despite the ban, the Police Commissioner ordered registration of an FIR against the company for cheating its customers and violating lawful orders of the government. The FIR has been lodged under Section 420 and 188 read with 34 of the IPC.
Rajnath Singh made a statement in both the Houses of Parliament, narrating the sequence of events on the ill-fated Friday night, noting that the Uber cab service has been banned in the NCT (national capital territory) of Delhi and that all States and Union Territories are advised to ban all such web-based cab booking services.
He also disclosed that the cab involved in the incident was owned by the accused driver. The car was seized from the driver, who was arrested from Mathura and brought to Delhi, and a forensic investigation is underway, he added, promising that the guilty will not be spared.
Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday criticised the decision to ban the cab service in the wake of the Delhi rape case. “It doesn’t make sense to ban services. Tomorrow, if something happens on a bus, we can’t ban that. It is the system that needs to be changed. Banning will only cause inconvenience to the people,” he argued.
He said, “System of giving driver’s licence is faulty; new digitalised system will be designed where everyone’s track record can be viewed… if there are improvements needed in the system they should be looked at.”
The National Commission for Women (NCW) on Tuesday issued a notice to the Delhi Police in connection with the Delhi rape case, asking it to submit a report within 15 days. A notice has also been issued to Uber in connection with the case.
After meeting the officials of Uber Cab Services at her office, Delhi Commission for Women chairperson Barkha Shukla said that the commission had asked the criteria the Uber had followed to employ such driver.
“When we asked them that on what basis they recruited such driver, they told us that the driver was eligible for driving. He had driving licence and character certificate. They also admitted they failed to install GPS facility in the cab and run the agency as per the guidelines set by police and transport authority,” said Shukla while favouring the closure of the company. Its official Gagan Bhatia called the incident horrific and apologised for the same.
The Uber case…
u More cases involving the arrested accused driver tumble out, alleged to be involved in at least four more cases
u Lawyer protests that Delhi Police not providing him the FIR, alleges his client was being framed
u Delhi Police Commissioner Bassi says character certificate was forged, FIR filed against the driver for forging it
u FIR also against company for cheating customers and violating lawful orders of the government
