Bike-Taxi Driver Accused of Route Alteration and Sexual Harassment in Bengaluru

On July 5, between 11:40 pm and midnight, a 28-year-old woman in Bengaluru reported a harrowing experience involving a bike-taxi driver, Biswajit Nath. The woman, who lives in Radha Reddy Layout on Sarjapur Road and works as a store supervisor at a local hotel, had booked a bike-taxi to join her husband for dinner. According to the woman’s complaint to Bellandur Police, the incident began when Nath arrived at her residence at 11:40 pm.

Route Diversion and Initial Interaction

The woman stated that Nath diverted from the planned route, citing waterlogging as the reason. During the trip, she received a call from a friend and spoke in Bengali. Nath then began conversing with her in the same language, which, according to the woman, led to a series of unsettling events.

Allegations of Harassment

The woman alleged that Nath drove her to a secluded area and stopped the bike. She claimed that Nath began touching her inappropriately and demanded that she cooperate with him. “He claimed that due to waterlogging, he’s taking alternative roads. Meanwhile, I got a call from my friend, and I spoke to her in Bengali. Biswajit asked me if I was Bengali and he started conversing with me in the language. He took me to an isolated place and stopped the bike. When I questioned him, he started touching me inappropriately and asked me to cooperate with him,” the woman recounted.

Escalation and Attempted Escape

The situation escalated when Nath allegedly chased and slapped the woman as she attempted to escape. “He snatched my mobile phone and cash too. I pleaded with him to leave me unharmed. After almost 30 minutes, he realised that I wouldn’t give up. I requested him to drop me at the location or home as I was not aware of which place it was, and there were hardly any people in the area. I could not note down his bike number. My husband came and picked me up. Rapido responded to my complaint, stating they would terminate Biswajit. They gave me his name and mobile number. I filed a complaint,” she added.

Driver’s Denial and Investigation

Nath was subsequently located by the police. He has denied the allegations, describing them as a misunderstanding. Nath claimed that he had taken a detour due to waterlogging and that the woman had misunderstood his actions. He also alleged that the passenger had requested to be dropped off short of her destination and refused to pay the fare, which led him to take the money forcibly.

Ongoing Police Investigation

The police are currently investigating both versions of the story. As the inquiry continues, the authorities are working to gather evidence and statements from both parties involved.