A woman in Bengaluru has shared a distressing experience of alleged harassment by a Rapido bike taxi driver during a ride in the city’s central area on Thursday evening.
The incident, reportedly on November 6, came to public attention after the woman detailed her experience and shared a video on Instagram. Her post prompted responses from both the Bengaluru City Police and Rapido, and she has since disabled comments on her post.
According to the woman, she had booked a ride from Church Street to her paying guest accommodation when the driver allegedly touched her inappropriately.
“While returning to my PG from Church Street on a Rapido ride, the captain tried to grab my legs while riding. It happened so suddenly that I couldn’t even process it, let alone record it,” she wrote. She added that when she asked the driver to stop, he did not, leaving her feeling terrified and unsafe.
She described being unable to stop the bike herself, as she was unfamiliar with the area. “By the time we reached my destination, I was shivering and in tears,” she said.
A passerby noticed her distress and intervened. “A kind man asked what happened. When I told him, he confronted the captain. The captain apologised and said he wouldn’t do it again, but as he left, he pointed his finger at me in a way that made me feel even more unsafe,” she added.
The woman shared her story to raise awareness and encourage vigilance. “No woman should have to go through something like this, not in a cab, not on a bike, not anywhere. Please stay alert, trust your instincts, and don’t stay silent,” she wrote.
The Bengaluru City Police reached out to the woman for details in the comment section of the post, including the location and her contact information, to initiate an investigation.
Rapido responded, saying, “We are concerned to learn about the captain’s inappropriate conduct during your recent ride. Your safety and comfort remain our top priorities. Kindly allow us some time to investigate the matter in detail.”
She later posted an update , saying she had filed a formal complaint with the Bengaluru City Police. “We will go get the footage where he actually grabbed my leg, twice, and where he wasn’t just resting his elbow,” she wrote.
The incident has sparked debate online. Some commenters questioned the nature of the contact, suggesting he may have merely rested his elbows on her knees. Others defended her, highlighting that any unwanted touch from a stranger is non-consensual and unacceptable, and emphasised the importance of believing survivors. She described these reactions as “heartbreaking.”