Taxi driver attempts to rape Manipuri student, out on bail; The victim reported the Delhi Police

A 19-year-old Delhi University student from Manipur has accused police officers of leniently handling her complaint of harassment against a taxi driver and offering the man an “easy route to release on bail.”

She claimed that the driver associated with an online taxi aggregator company took her hostage and went to a secluded location with the intention of raping her, but she managed to escape. The woman said that when she went to the police station to file her complaint, she had to wait seven hours.

“Despite a clear and serious threat to my life, the FIR that was eventually filed included only minor charges, allowing the culprit to easily get bail. The lenient handling of the case and the failure to take immediate and necessary action is deeply worrying,” she told PTI.

In her complaint to the special commissioner, she said that the taxi driver who came to pick her up was another person, as shown in the online portal.

A senior police officer said they had received the complaint and were investigating the matter.

Based on his complaint, an FIR was lodged under sections 127 (2) (wrongful confinement) and 351 (criminal intimidation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita at Model Town police station on Monday against Vinod, the taxi driver. He was arrested and released on bail the same day, she said.

According to the FIR, the incident took place when the woman was on her way to ISBT from her rented accommodation near Delhi University’s North Campus on October 5 at 11:10 p.m. The taxi driver took the student to a secluded area to “rape” her. However, when she fought back, he threatened her with a blade and told her: “It would be too easy for me to kill you in two minutes.”

Speaking to PTI, she said that during the ride, Vinod asked her personal questions, which made her uncomfortable. When he took a different path, it made her suspicious.

“I somehow managed to get out of the car and run away,” she said.

“When I contacted the North East Delhi Police helpline, instead of offering me immediate help, they simply redirected me to the nearest police station . Then I went to the Model Town police station, hoping for quick action. However, I was met with a shocking indifference and lack of urgency from the police,” she said.

She said the taxi driver knows her residential locality, which poses a threat to her safety.

“Therefore, the police must ensure my safety,” she said.

In her complaint to the Special Commissioner, she said she found that the person driving the taxi was not the official driver as his details did not match those given on the online portal. The taxi belonged to another person, the designated driver was another person and the accused was neither but a third unknown and unverified person, she added in her complaint.

She said the taxi aggregator should also look into the issue.

(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed – PTI)