An alarming incident in Gurugram, Haryana, has once again brought to light the pressing issue of women’s safety while using ride-sharing apps. A man posing as a Rapido driver has been accused of molesting a woman customer by sending her inappropriate messages shortly after she booked a ride through the platform.
As per the woman’s husband, the driver began sending her disturbing texts after arriving at their residence. Among the messages, he allegedly wrote, “Apna flat number do.. Ghar par akeli ho toh main aata hoon (Give me your flat number. If you’re alone at home, then I am coming),” while also sharing his personal phone number. Alarmed, the woman immediately informed her husband, who decided to confront the situation head-on.
Identified as Abhimanyu, the husband managed to track down the accused driver, confronted him, and recorded the encounter on video. The footage, where the driver is seen apologizing and claiming it was a “misunderstanding,” was later posted online.
The video quickly went viral, drawing widespread attention and praise for Abhimanyu’s quick response. One user commented, “I am scared… I can only imagine what your wife is feeling right now. I’m glad you handled the situation so well,” capturing the sentiments of many who expressed concern for women’s security while using app-based transport.
Following the public outrage, Rapido released a statement confirming that both the driver and the account associated with an alternate ID have been permanently banned from the platform. The company reiterated its “zero-tolerance policy” towards misconduct.
However, Abhimanyu raised a serious concern by alleging that the individual was operating under someone else’s Rapido account. This accusation points to a major loophole in the platform’s driver verification process, raising broader questions about the safety measures in place to protect passengers.
