Bengaluru: A 24-year old techie was allegedly sexually assaulted on her way to work by office cab driver. The woman, an investigation specialist for the Amazon Development Centre in India, said that the driver made obscene remarks and openly voiced his desire to have sexual relations with her.
The victim restrained herself from retaliating during the two-hour ride from home to office, as she was afraid that he might take a detour or attempt to physically harm her. As soon as she reached the office, she immediately filed a complaint with the transportation department of the company, who proceeded to sack him and asked her to lodge a complaint at the police station.
The victim boarded the cab at around 12:30 pm last Wednesday. The driver Santhosh Somegowda, who was driving her for the first time, began to make conversation with her. He initially asked general questions about her background and work, but then the conversation began to get sleazy. “His following questions delved into personal areas of my life, such as ‘Do I love anyone’, ‘Do I have boys or girls as friends’, etc. I showed my disinterest by not responding and engaging myself with phone,” the victim recalled.
While she was hoping he would take the hint that she wasn’t interested, his questions got bolder. When they were a few kilometers away from office, he asked her, “Madam, what would you do if a man forced himself sexually on you, under the influence of alcohol? Would you heed to his request? Please do not speak with the transport team about what I say.”
Although shocked, the victim kept her cool and told him that she always carries a pepper spray. Instead of getting intimidated, Santosh went on to ask her to engage in sexual activities with him, adding that he would gladly use protection.
“The driver continued to say he was not looking to get married, but his intent was plainly to have some fun with me. He also suggested that we become friends and said I should call him home when I am alone. I was in a state of shock and felt awfully helpless as I was the only passenger, and the road we were on was entirely deserted. Since I feared the driver would stop the car or take a detour if I raised an alarm, I immediately got on a call to convey that I was busy, but he continued talking till I reached office. Just as I was getting down, the driver asked me to say ‘I love you’ to him, but I ignored him and ran into the building,” she said.
After lodging the complaint, the victim said that Santosh has not tired to contact her. Police confirmed the cabbie's arrest and said, “The driver verbally harassed the victim on way to office. The victim has also confirmed the harassment was not physical in nature. He has been booked for sexual harassment and intentional insult to outrage a woman's modesty.”
