Uber cab rape case: Victim identifies driver in court

New Delhi, Jan 15: US-based cab service provider Uber's driver, who is facing trial in a rape case, was today identified in a Delhi court by the victim, a 25-year-old woman executive.

During the trial, which commenced today, the victim's statement was recorded before Additional Sessions Judge Kaveri Baweja in an in-camera proceeding.

The woman, who came to the court wearing a burqa, appeared as the first prosecution witness in the case. Her deposition remained inconclusive today and it will continue tomorrow when she will be cross-examined by the counsel for accused Shiv Kumar Yadav, 32.

During the hearing, Yadav was also present inside the courtroom.

According to court sources, the woman while recording her statement identified Yadav as the one who had raped her on the night of December 5, 2014 when she had hired the cab and was returning to her home in Delhi's Inderlok area.

Sources said the woman recalled her statement recorded before a magistrate under section 164 of the CrPC in which she had said that on the day of incident, after finishing her office work she had gone to Gurgaon for a party with friends and had booked a Uber cab for returning home.

She boarded the cab, which was being driver by Yadav, from Vasant Vihar area and felt asleep in the car, she had told the magistrate, adding that when she woke up she found Yadav was also sitting on the back seat and when she tried to raise an alarm, he slapped her repeatedly and threatened to insert a rod.

The woman had said that the car was stopped at a secluded place and Yadav raped her and dropped her to her house. The court had on January 13 framed charges against Yadav and ordered that the trial will proceed on a daily basis.

The court had framed charges under various sections of the Indian Penal Code for alleged offences of endangering a woman's life while raping her, kidnapping her with an intent to compel her for marriage, criminally intimidating and causing hurt.

PTI