DEHRADUN: A woman judicial officer in Uttarakhand’s capital has accused a Rapido driver of misbehaviour, issuing threats and attempting to abduct her following a dispute over the ride fare. Dalanwala police have registered a case and arrested the driver, according to the complaint.
The incident allegedly took place around 6.11 pm on Wednesday. The officer had booked a ride from her residence in Judges’ Colony on Balbir Road to Sauda Saroli, near Maldevta. The driver, whose vehicle was listed as UK 07 TB 7073, accepted the booking and arrived at the colony.
According to the FIR, the driver asked for the ride’s OTP and started the trip after she provided it. He then asked whether she wanted the air-conditioning switched on. After she agreed, he allegedly said she would have to pay double because the destination was nine kilometres away.
The officer said she refused, telling him she would pay the fare shown when she booked the ride. She alleged that the driver then took her into a deserted, unlit lane instead of continuing along the road. The lane ended abruptly, she said.
Fearing that the driver was taking her somewhere else, the officer called her court orderly, Ravindra, from inside the vehicle and told him what was happening. She also contacted Rapido to report that the driver was threatening her and demanding twice the fare. The company assured her it would take action, she said in her complaint.
The officer alleged that the driver had tried to abduct her but turned the vehicle around after realising the lane was a dead end. He then got out to speak to someone while she remained inside the car.
The driver later brought the vehicle to the entrance of Judges’ Colony and cancelled the ride, the complaint stated. A security guard on duty questioned him about taking the officer into the lane. The driver allegedly replied that the route was shown on Rapido’s map and that the passenger should have guided him.
The complaint further alleges that the driver argued with and threatened the guard, causing a crowd to gather. The officer said he continued creating a disturbance outside the colony for about half an hour and repeatedly claimed to have strong connections with the police.
After the court orderly contacted the police station, a Cheetah police team reached the spot and took the officer to the station, according to the complaint.
The officer said the episode had left her frightened and concerned for her safety. She alleged that the driver had seen where she lived and could pose a future threat. She has sought police action, saying she feared for her life.