A 28-year-old woman in Bengaluru has accused a bike-taxi driver of sexual harassment after he reportedly changed the route to her destination and assaulted her. The incident allegedly occurred between 11:40 pm and 12:00 am on July 5.
According to the woman’s complaint, she had booked a bike-taxi around 11:20 pm to go for dinner with her husband, who works at the same hotel where she is a supervisor. The driver, Biswajit Nath, picked her up from her home at 11:40 pm. Nath allegedly changed the route, claiming the main road was waterlogged and that he needed to take an alternative path.
During the journey, the woman received a call from a friend and spoke in Bengali. Nath, who also spoke Bengali, reportedly took her to a secluded area under the guise of avoiding waterlogging. Once there, he allegedly began touching her inappropriately and asked her to cooperate.
The woman attempted to escape but was allegedly slapped by Nath, who then stole her mobile phone and cash. After a prolonged struggle, Nath returned her phone and dropped her off at RMZ Ecoworld, but kept Rs 800.
She later reported the incident to Rapido, the bike-taxi service, which promised to terminate Nath. However, he denied the allegations, claiming the route change was due to waterlogging and that the woman misunderstood his actions. Nath also asserted that he only took the money after the woman refused to pay.
The police are currently investigating both accounts. Nath maintains his innocence, calling the incident a misunderstanding.