The victim narrated her ordeal on social media, following which there was a lot of outrage over the incident with many demanding proper safety protocols be implemented by the bike-taxi operator. Acting swiftly, the city police arrested the 23-year-old accused. Kuruvettappa,
In her social media post, the woman said: “I went to Manipur violence protest at Town Hall (in the city) and booked @rapidobikeapp auto to go back home.
However, due to multiple auto cancellations, I had to opt for a bike instead. Surprisingly, the driver (Captain) came on a different bike, and told that the bike registered on @rapidobikeapp is under servicing. I confirmed my booking through his app and proceeded for the ride.
During the journey, we reached a remote area where there were no other vehicles around. The shocking thing is that the driver started riding the bike with one hand and indulged in inappropriate behavior (masturbating while riding the bike). Fearing for my safety, I remained silent throughout the ordeal.
I asked him to drop me 200 meters before my actual destination to hide the location of my house. Once the trip was over, he started calling and messaging me on WhatsApp constantly. I had to block her number to stop the harassment.”
The woman also shared screenshots of the messages that the accused had sent her. After the shock she went through, she questioned Rapido: “@rapidobikeapp, what measures are you taking for background verification? Safety of your users should be top priority. Please ensure that people registered with your service can be trusted for a safe traveling experience. He (the accused) still keeps calling me from different numbers!”
Rapido representatives apologized for the incident on social media in response to his post. However, the company said in a statement to the media on Saturday, “We have taken immediate and strict action against the captain involved by suspending him from our platform.”
Meanwhile, the company asked customers not to share their numbers with captains or drivers and assured them that communication through its app was done through a masking service. They also asked customers to ensure that the details of the captain and vehicle match with the details provided in the app, and reject the ride otherwise.