Rape accused driver was working for Uber: Firm's Asia head

The business head of Uber Asia today told a Delhi court that the driver of the cab, in which a 25-year-old woman was allegedly raped in December last year here, was working for his company and had diverted the vehicle from the actual route for which it was booked.
Eric Alexander, who deposed as a prosecution witness, showed the satellite maps of the route of cab to Additional Sessions Judge Kaveri Baweja and explained about the directions in which the vehicle, driven by accused Shiv Kumar Yadav, had moved on the night of the incident on December 5.
Supporting the case of the prosecution, he said the driver had diverted the Swift Dzire car from the actual route which was to be taken for going to Inderlok from Vasant Vihar.

Alexander, through Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) Atul Shrivastava, said according to the company's records, the cab was booked by a person named Ayush Dabas by using Uber application on his mobile phone on December 5, 2014 at 11 PM and it started from Vasant Vihar area and the journey ended at Zakira here.
He added that Yadav, who was the registered owner of the car, was operating it for his company and according to the records was also the driver of the vehicle.
"I have been authorised by the Director of Uber India Systems Pvt Ltd to conduct legal proceedings pertaining to this case and to depose on behalf of the company during trial," Alexander told the court.

During the day, the court continued recording statement of investigating officer of the case, Delhi Police Sub Inspector Renu, whose deposition remained inconclusive. Out of 28, she is the last witness to be examined by the prosecution.
Renu deposed that sections 376(2)(m) (endangering a woman's life while raping her) and 366 (kidnapping with an intent to compel her for marriage) of IPC were added in the case on December 23, 2014 as it came out during the probe that Yadav had tried to strangulate the victim and there were scratch marks on her neck and he had taken her to a secluded place by diverting the route.