KOCHI: A 35-year-old online taxi driver was arrested on Monday for allegedly molesting a techie woman passenger while on a trip near Kakkanad. Rasilal, hailing from Punalur, allegedly groped the woman after taking a deviation from the original route, according to the police.
The man did not allow the woman to leave the car initially but later allowed her to go when she raised the alarm. The woman, who went home later lodged a complaint with Infopark police along with her family members. According to the police, the woman was travelling from Vyttila to Kakkanad on Monday morning when the incident occurred.
“The driver had taken the vehicle to a pocket road before committing the crime. We arrested him from the city after conducting an investigation based on the statements of the victim by 9.30 pm,” said an officer.
The accused was arrested under sections 354 (Assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 354-A (sexual harassment) and 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) of the IPC.The accused was presented before a magistrate in the night and he was remanded in judicial custody.