Cab driver attempts to $exually assault woman in Hyd

A cab driver allegedly attempted to $exually assault a woman near Shamshabad on the outskirts of Hyderabad and robbed her of Rs 60,000, officials said on Monday.

The incident occurred near the site of the 2019 Disha case on Friday (September 26) night but came to light on Monday. The 38-year-old woman lodged a complaint with Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) Police Station. Police later registered an FIR.

The complainant, a resident of Devarkonda in Nalgonda district, stated that she boarded a taxi at Jadcherla around 6 p.m. on September 26 to come to Hyderabad. She was carrying Rs 60,000 in cash.

On reaching Shamshabad, the driver asked her to pay an extra Rs 50 to go to Gachibowli, to which she agreed. The FIR states that after crossing the Tondupally toll gate, the driver stopped the car at a medical shop on the ORR service road to buy medicines.

Around 8:30 p.m., he again stopped the vehicle near a deserted place beside the Kothwalguda service road and allegedly tried to molest her. When she raised an alarm and got down from the vehicle, the driver snatched the bag containing the cash and sped away.

Based on the complaint received the same night, police registered a case under Sections 74, 318(4), 303(2) of BNS and took up the investigation. It was near Tondupally toll gate that a 27-year-old woman veterinarian was gang raped and murdered on the night of November 27, 2019.

The charred body of Disha (as the victim is referred to by the investigators) was found at Chatanpally near Shadnagar the next day. The horrific incident had triggered huge public outrage and grabbed the national headlines.

Four accused arrested in the case were gunned down by police in an alleged encounter on December 6, 2019. According to police, the accused tried to snatch weapons from police while they were taken to Chatanpally as part of the investigation. Police personnel escorting them opened fire, killing all the accused.

The Supreme Court later appointed an inquiry commission to probe the alleged encounter.