Uber Sued in US Court by New Delhi Rape Victim

Trouble has knocked at Uber’s door once again with the Indian rape victim filing a complaint at the Northern District Court of California.

Two months ago, an Uber driver in New Delhi, India allegedly raped the plaintiff. A complaint to the local authorities led to a full-blown investigation, which resulted in a complete shutdown of the service in the city. The driver was reportedly not licensed and had a previous history of assault and rape.

The plaintiff has claimed that Uber’s claim of providing the riders with a safe ride as its top priority is nothing, but a marketing gimmick aimed at making profit and expanding, meanwhile, sacrificing the rider’s safety.

The complaint filed reads that “soon after the attack, Uber’s Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer Travis Kalanick issued another statement promising that ‘Uber will do everything, I repeat, everything to bring this preparator (of the rape) to justice and to support the victim and her family in her recovery. Unfortunately, Uber has gone back on its word that it would do “everything” to support plaintiff in its courageous recovery. Despite knowing Ms. Doe’s (pseudo name to protect identity) identity and having the means to reach her, Uber has shunned and avoided all contacts with Ms. Doe and her family.”

Uber’s shutdown in New Delhi was one in a series of troubles the ride-sharing company has been encountering all over the world. The company was recently sued for charging the $1 safe-ride fee, which it claims helps ensure safety standards for riders that go above and beyond the requirements of local laws. However, Uber’s legal armor has so far protected it from any serious damage to its business.

Uber’s service in New Delhi was restored a week ago under a new set of safety regulations, according to Uber. India stands as the second largest market for Uber, which  was recently evaluated at $41B.

Read more about Uber here.