Uber cab driver alleges police probe not fair

New Delhi, Feb 27 (IANS) Uber cab driver Shiv Kumar Yadav, facing trial for allegedly raping a woman executive who he was ferrying in his taxi, Friday told the court that the Delhi Police has not conducted fair investigation in the matter.

Delivering his final arguments, Yadav's counsel D. K. Mishra told Additional Sessions Judge Kaveri Baweja that the Delhi Police, instead of finding and verifying facts in the case, has gone to prosecute his client and did not conduct fair investigation in the matter.

He also alleged that police has deliberately planted a false case against Yadav citing various loopholes in investigation including victim's different version in her statement to the police control room (PCR), first information report (FIR) and others.

He also raised question over dropping of victim's fiance as an witness in the case and and not verifying call details record, SMS and Whatsapp converstation of woman, her fiance and her friend, who has booked cab by using the Uber application.

According to the charge sheet, the woman had sent an SMS to her fiance telling him about the incident which by mistake went to the accused's number.

Mishra further added that police have relied over various documents in the case but had not filed them with the charge sheet.

Over a media report that victim's father is getting threats, he orally requested court to issue direction for lodging FIR over it.

The final arguments will be continued Saturday.

The prosecution had Jan 31 completed recording of evidence in just 17 days.

According to police, the woman executive was allegedly raped by 32-year-old Yadav on the night of Dec 5, 2014 in the cab she hired to head back home in north Delhi's Inderlok area. The accused took the woman in an isolated place with the motive to commit the heinous crime.

The court had Jan 13 framed charges of rape, causing grievous bodily harm and endangering the life of a woman, kidnapping a woman, criminal intimidation and voluntarily causing hurt against Yadav under various sections of the Indian Penal Code.