New Delhi: In a horrifying incident, an Indrive app bike driver sexually assaulted an air hostess working with a top Indian airline, attempted to kill her when she resisted and fled only after an elderly couple intervened. The incident took place in New Delhiโs Chanakyapuri area.
The attack occurred in the Lutyens Zone, near Buddha Jayanti Park, while Delhi was on high alert for Independence Day.
According to sources, the accused driver told the victim that she wasnโt his first target and that he had raped several female passengers. One such incident came to light during the police investigation.
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The victim, a science graduate and air hostess, resides in South Delhi. She had gone to East Delhi to visit a friend and shop. On her way back to Dwarka, she booked a bike ride through the Indrive app, which was accepted by the driver, Jaideep. The ride began at 11:47 p.m.
โI was shocked when he asked me to buy him ice cream,โ the victim told the police. โHe kept talking to me while riding and handed me his two phones, asking me to give directions according to the map. I was completely taken aback.โ
Ten minutes into the ride, the driver demanded his phone back, claiming he needed to make a call. He then closed the location map and took a wrong turn, despite the victimโs protests. When she questioned him, he claimed it was a shortcut.
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After a few meters, the driver stopped the bike, causing the victim to panic. She attempted to signal other drivers for help, but none stopped. The accused then assaulted her, dragged her to a secluded area near a tree, and attempted to strangle her.
โHe thrashed me and said I wasnโt his first victim; he had done the same to many customers,โ the victim recounted to the police.
Just then, a car driven by an elderly couple stopped nearby. Seeing the car, the accused fled, leaving behind his two helmets. The couple dropped the victim at a nearby metro station and stayed with her until her friend arrived from South Delhi, according to a police source.
The friendโs mother called the police, who registered an FIR under relevant sections of the law. The police traced the driver and arrested him. During interrogation, they discovered that the accused had been involved in a previous sexual assault case. The investigation is ongoing to determine how many women he may have assaulted.
