Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court directed ANI Technologies, the parent company of Ola Cabs, to pay ₹5 lakh as compensation to a woman who reported sexual harassment by an Ola cab driver in 2018. Justice MGS Kamal emphasized the company’s obligation to ensure the safety of its passengers and mandated that the Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) conduct an inquiry into the woman’s complaint within 90 days, as per the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (POSH) Act, 2013.
The Court highlighted that the petitioner had entered into an agreement with Ola when she downloaded the app, which promised safety and protection. It noted that Ola had failed to uphold this commitment, causing significant trauma to the woman. In addition to the compensation, the Court ordered Ola to pay ₹50,000 in litigation expenses.
The Additional Commissioner for Transport and the Secretary of the Karnataka State Transport Authority were also instructed to pay ₹1 lakh to the Karnataka Legal Service Authority.
The case stemmed from an incident in August 2018 when the woman alleged that the driver not only stared at her through the rear-view mirror but also watched pornographic content on his phone while driving, ultimately engaging in inappropriate behavior. Ola initially blacklisted the driver but failed to take further action, prompting the woman to file a formal police complaint.
The court ruled that the ICC had a statutory obligation to investigate the allegations of sexual harassment, countering Ola’s argument that the drivers were not company employees and thus not subject to the POSH Act.
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