Bengaluru Molestation Case: Ola Tried to Hide Info, Says Police

Case will be registered against Ola for allegedly concealing information from the Police in the Sexual Assault Case

Publicity image. (Photo Courtesy: @OlaCabs/Twitter)

Even as a woman was allegedly molested by her Ola driver on 28 April and a case has been booked, the cab aggregating company is in fresh trouble with the Bengaluru Police.

Police Commissioner Praveen Sood, on Wednesday, said that a case will be registered against Ola as it was found that the company allegedly concealed information from the police in the sexual assault case, the Times of India reported.

Sood said that the accused driver, Ravikumar, was impersonated by a 25-year-old Imran Khan, who was not the driver-partner assigned to drive that night.

“Ravikumar used to drive a car owned by a man named Navin Rajput. Navin and Imran tried to replace Ravikumar’s name with Imran Khan’s in Ola records,” Sood said.

The police initially detained Ravikumar, who is the registered driver-partner. Ravikumar allegedly told the police that he had stopped driving since February.

When Ravikumar quit, Navin had employed Imran Khan. We then detained Navin Rajput and Imran Khan on Tuesday. The two men confessed that they tried to get the name replaced. In the screenshot taken by the woman, the name of the driver is Ravikumar. We are investigating Ola’s role in attempting to destroy evidence.

Police Commissioner Praveen Sood

Investigating officers have learnt that neither Ola nor Navin Rajput informed the police about the driver’s impersonation.

“Navin Rajput had gone to the Ola office after the incident occurred. We will be taking action against the company now,” he said.

Also read: Ola Drivers Molest Women in Bengaluru, Mumbai: 2 Days, 2 Arrests

The police have arrested Imran Khan, and have taken him into custody. According to the TOI report, the police are also going through the available digital evidence, including the movement data in the cab's GPS and call records of both parties have been collected and teams are sifting through them.

Imran Khan has said that he did not molest the woman but had an argument with her as she was drunk and was not able to give the proper location. However, the molestation case will remain despite Khan’s claim.

Police Commissioner Praveen Sood

On the night of 28 April, the woman was allegedly groped by her Ola driver on Begur Road. She managed to ward him off and jump out of the car.

She filed a complaint with the Bommanahalli Police that very night.