Uber ceases operations in New Delhi

NEW DELHI: In the eye of a storm over a rape case, global cab-booking firm Uber today finally ceased its operations in the national capital complying with a government ban imposed on it three days back.

The move by the US-based firm came even as the Delhi Government and Traffic Police engaged in a blame game with both putting the onus on each other to enforce the ban.

Though Delhi Government had imposed a ban on Uber on Monday with immediate effect, the app-based taxi booking company continued with its services till late last evening, claiming that it had not received any communication about the action.

Police said Delhi Government's order banning the cab company in the city was hand delivered to its officials last evening after they claimed that the order was yet to reach them.

The Delhi government on Monday had announced banning Uber and other app-based taxi services with immediate effect after the rape of a 27-year-old woman executive allegedly by a cabbie contracted by the US-based Uber.

Delhi Police has already filed an FIR against Uber charging it with cheating its customers and defying government orders.

A number of Uber Executives including its Asia-Pacific head Eric Alexander have been questioned in the last two days. Alexander, who is based in Hong Kong, was called by Delhi Police to join investigations and he did so yesterday.

Delhi Government's Transport department said it does not have adequate resources to enforce the ban while Traffic Police maintained that those who announced the move must execute it.

"We have asked the Delhi Traffic police to immediately implement the ban on web-based cab services, including Uber, in the national capital," a Transport Department official told when asked how Uber was operating three days after it was banned.

A senior traffic official said it was the responsibility of the transport department to implement the ban on the company which did not have any regulatory permission to operate in Delhi.

It has emerged in the investigation that accused driver Shiv Kumar Yadav is a serial sex offender who was allegedly involved in two separate cases of rape in 2011 and 2013 besides some other crimes.

During the questioning of its executives, it emerged that the firm, which has a total of 4,000 drivers on its rolls, did not have any idea whether the cabbies had provided police verification certificates or possessed mandatory Public Service Vehicle (PSV) badges.

Meanwhile, investigators have recovered the iPhone which was provided by Uber to the driver accused of raping the 27- year-old finance company executive on Friday night inside the cab which she had booked through the company's App.

The phone was recovered from Mathura by a Delhi Police team which had gone there with Yadav yesterday in search of the phone. The phone was recovered at Yadav's instance.

Police have already recovered two of the three phones used by Yadav.