Bengaluru: CEO of private firm sexually harassed by Ola driver

Bengaluru : In yet another incident of this nature, a Mumbai-based CEO of a private company accused a driver Ola Cab Services of harassing her during a ride around 11.30 PM Monday.

Police said they haven’t received any formal complaint, but are looking into the matter. She tweeted that she flew into Bengaluru on an official visit. “After a while, the cab entered a route without proper lighting and with no vehicles. Then I saw the tab screen and found that the driver was not driving in the specified road. When asked, the driver replied saying he did so to avoid the toll gate. I requested him to return back to the navigated road but he did not and spoke arrogantly instead. Then I pressed the emergency button and Ola people called me,” she said.

After she explained the problem, Ola staff directed the driver to return to the main road. But the driver stopped the vehicle in a dimly lit area and started talking on his phone. “I imagined he was calling his friends and fearing, I again pressed the emergency button which did not work due to a bad signal. Then I dialled the police control room and the cops asked where I was. Since I am new to the city, I could not tell them. Then I got connected to Ola staff again,” she said. Her battery was low and Ola staff asked her to take the driver’s cell phone and keep the speaker on. “They directed the driver to head to the location without stopping,” she wrote.

An Ola spokesperson told TOI they had followed all rules and precautionary measures. They confirmed that they suspended the driver and are investigating the matter.