Rape case: Uber Cab driver sent to Tihar Jail

NEW DELHI: A Delhi court today remanded the driver of US-based cab service provider Uber, arrested for allegedly raping a 27-year old woman executive here, in judicial custody till December 24, amid a ruckus by striking lawyers.

Metropolitan Magistrate Ravindra Kumar Pandey sent Shiv Kumar Yadav to Tihar Jail after the investigating officer (IO) said that his custodial interrogation was not necessary as a mobile phone and clothes, which the accused was wearing at the time of the incident, have been recovered.

The officer submitted that the investigation in the case was still on.

The legal aid counsel, appearing for the accused, however, said that the investigation was complete and Yadav be sent to judicial custody.

The court after hearing the submissions said, "Considering the facts of the case, nature and seriousness of allegations and considering that the investigation is at a crucial stage, the accused be remanded to judicial custody till December 24".

The moment Yadav was produced in the court, lawyers, who were sitting on a strike for the third consecutive day, created ruckus in the court room and opposed the counsel appearing for him.

The lawyers started shouting, "We are on strike and no advocate will appear in the proceedings."

The magistrate then requested the advocates not to interfere with the court proceedings.

32-year-old Yadav, who was driving the cab, had allegedly raped the woman on the night of December 5 when the victim, who works for a finance company in Gurgaon, was headed back to her home in north Delhi's Inderlok area.