Raipur: Those booking online cars or bikes for travel in the city need to stay alert. The drivers of these vehicles are not undergoing police verification. Consequently, drivers are committing serious crimes such as fraud and theft. Such incidents are frequently coming to light; cases include the rape of a young woman in the Vidhan Sabha area and a driver fleeing with a young woman’s handbag in the Ganj area. It has also previously been revealed that stolen two-wheelers were used for these services. In contrast, the police have verified the auto-rickshaw and e-rickshaw drivers operating in the city, ensuring the police possess full details about them. If an auto driver is involved in any criminal case, they can be arrested immediately, as the police can easily locate them. However, if drivers from companies like Ola, Uber, or Rapido commit a crime, the police struggle to apprehend them quickly. The primary reason for this is the lack of police verification for these drivers.
Case — 1
Four months ago, a young woman from the Vidhan Sabha area booked a Rapido bike to go to college. During the ride, the bike driver obtained her mobile number. Later, under the pretext of marriage following a friendship, he raped her.
Case — 2
Bhavna Sharma, a resident of Boriakhurd, booked a Rapido ride on July 22. Due to the rain, she placed her handbag inside the Rapido driver’s (Bhimgaj alias Vicky) backpack. After dropping Bhavna off at Fafadih, the driver fled with the bag. Based on her complaint, the Ganj police have registered a case against the accused driver.
Why the accused remains at large
The Rapido driver who fled with the young woman’s bag in the Ganj area has not yet been traced. The accused has switched off the mobile number he used to communicate with the victim. Several companies offer transport services in the city via online booking, yet the identities and origins of the drivers operating these vehicles remain unknown. Only the company possesses this information; neither the local police nor the Transport Department has details about it.
