A 56-year-old auto driver has been arrested for allegedly sexually harassing a young woman passenger during a Rapido ride in Chennai.
According to police, the victim, a 24-year-old woman from Perambur, works as a collection agent at a private finance company in Kodambakkam. On the night of the incident, she had finished work and travelled by electric train from Kodambakkam to Park railway station. From there, she booked a Rapido auto to reach her home in Perambur.
During the ride, the driver reportedly drove the vehicle at high speed. When the auto was passing along Ambedkar Law College Road in Vyasarpadi, the speed increased further. As the vehicle accelerated, the woman placed her hand on the back portion of the driver’s seat to maintain balance.
Police said the driver then turned around and questioned her about touching him. When the woman denied doing so, he allegedly responded by telling her that it was fine and that she could place her hand on him. He then reportedly grabbed her hand, pulled it, and placed it on his shoulder, allegedly engaging in sexual harassment.
Startled by the act, the woman immediately pulled her hand away and shouted. Police said the driver then stopped the auto at a deserted location, threatened her, and asked her to get down from the vehicle. After she got down, the driver fled the spot in the auto.
The woman later approached the Otteri police station and filed a complaint. Based on the information provided, police registered a case and contacted Rapido to obtain details linked to the ride booking.
The driver was identified as Mohammed Azimuddin, 56, a resident of Perambur. Investigators traced his mobile phone and located him the next morning driving an auto on Natesan Street in T. Nagar. A police team rushed to the spot and arrested him.
During interrogation, Azimuddin reportedly admitted to the act. He was later produced before a court and remanded to judicial custody at Puzhal Central Prison. Police said further investigation into the case is ongoing.
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