United States-based cab company Uber was on Monday booked for cheating by the Delhi Police in connection with the alleged rape of a 27-year-old finance company executive in its cab by the driver on Friday night in New Delhi.
"We have registered a separate first information report against Uber under Section 420 (cheating) of the Indian Penal Code. In investigations so far, it emerged that the company cheated their customer on the pretext of providing safe commuting with duly verfied driver," Deputy Commissioner of Police (North) Madhur Verma told PTI.
Earlier in the day, a senior Delhi police official had said, "We may book the company under CrPc section 188 and other charges as criminal negligence and abetment to the crime have been made out against Uber".
The investigations have gathered momentum amid growing outrage over the rape allegedly by a driver of Uber who had been arrested on Sunday.
"We wanted to know the role of the company while it brings the customer and the car driver into contact through its App. What is the liability of the company if the driver commits a crime as in this case? What is the business model, how it works, who are its promoters?" the officer said.
Sources privy to the investigation said Uber's General Manager (Marketing) Gagan Bhatia, who claims to be the in-charge of the company's India operations, during his day-long questioning, has not been able to provide much information to the police regarding the company's operations and its policies.
Bhatia could not come up with satisfactory answers to these questions posed by police and he has been asked to produce the documents regarding the operations of the company in India.
"He first told us that there is no country head and he reports to one guy who heads its operation at EMEA (Europe-Middle East-Asia). If we don't get satisfactory answers from Bhatia, we may call this EMEA head for questioning," the officer added.
He added that they have come across gross violations on part of the company in terms of violation of the Motor Vehicle Act and others.
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