'Rapido' Driver Rapes Minor Girl in Hyderabad; Victim Trapped after Leaving Home Angry at Parents

A Rapido driver trapped a minor girl who left home after being scolded by her parents and wandering alone on the road in Tukaram Gate area in Secunderabad. The young man took her on a tour of the city and checked into a lodge in Kacheguda where he allegedly raped her. The accused was arrested based on a complaint given by the girl's parents. Rapido has also issued a statement claiming the accused was not on a Rapido ride at the time of the incident.

Hyderabad: A minor girl was allegedly raped by a 'Rapido' driver in the Tukaram Gate police station limits of Secunderabad in Telangana on May 19. The accused lured the girl who was walking alone on the road, took her to a lodge and committed the offence, police said.

Based on the complaint filed by the victim, the police have arrested the accused Sandeep Reddy (28) and are investigating the case. According to the Police, the victim's family had rebuked her for talking too often on the phone. On the 19th of this month, the parents directed their ire at the girl upon noticing her talking on the phone. The agitated girl left the house and started wandering on the road.

On the same day, the parents lodged a complaint at Tukaram Gate police station that their daughter was missing. The police registered a case of disappearance and started looking for her.

The accused Sandeep Reddy, who lives in the Working Men's Hostel in Habsiguda, and worked as a Rapido driver, noticed the victim walking alone on the road. He immediately went to her and asked her where she was going. He convinced her to ride with him on his vehicle. From there he took her to Kukatpally, Kondapur, Tank Bund, and other places. Later, he tricked her and took her to a lodge in Kacheguda, where he allegedly raped the girl in the lodge. He threatened to kill her if she told anyone about this and left the place. The girl got scared and immediately went to her home and told her parents about the incident.

The parents returned to the Tukaram Gate Police Station to file the complaint. Police acted accordingly, took the girl to the hospital for medical examination, and also managed to arrest the accused, who was eventually remanded on Tuesday.

Rapido issues statement

Meanwhile, Rapido, in a statement shared on Thursday, insisted that the ride did not take place on their platform. "We are deeply troubled by the recent incident involving a minor girl in Hyderabad. Our thoughts are with the victim and her family during this difficult time. At Rapido, the safety and security of our customers is our utmost priority. We want to clarify that this ride did not take place on our platform, and the victim did not book any ride through Rapido. The accused was not on a Rapido ride at the time of this tragic event," the statement said.

"Rapido maintains a zero-tolerance policy for any form of misconduct. All Rapido captains undergo rigorous background verification during the on boarding process to ensure the safety of our customers​," it added.

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