Hyderabad: 2 cab drivers, security man held for sexually harassing women

Hyderabad: Two cab drivers and a security supervisor of a multi-national firm were arrested on Monday in separate cases of sexual harassment of women professionals.

According to the police, on the intervening night of October 21-22, a woman employee of an MNC took the company car about 1.30 AM for returning to her home in Alwal area.

"As she was the lone passenger, the security supervisor (of the company) said he would accompany her. Though as a matter of policy he should have sat in the front seat, he sat in the rear seat," a release from Cyberabad police said.

During the journey, the supervisor allegedly misbehaved with her. She asked the driver to stop the car but he did not do that with the intention to support the misbehaviour of the supervisor, police said.

"When the employee boldly shouted at the supervisor and driver and pushed the supervisor to corner, he stopped misbehaving with her and she was dropped at her home," the release said.

She lodged a complaint with Alwal police who registered a case under section 354 A of IPC (sexual harassment) and arrested the security supervisor Induri Venugopal and the driver C Srikanth.

In the second case, on October 22, a woman working with an IT firm tweeted to Telangana DGP Anurag Sharma about a cab driver having harassed and stalked her. The DGP asked the police to take action.

Following a probe, Narsingi police today arrested K Udaybhanu Teja, the cab driver.

According to the woman, when she was returning home from office that day, on reaching Outer Ring Road at Gachibowli she stopped her car at the red signal. Teja, who was behind her, honked repeatedly.

"The victim asked him to wait due to the signal, but the accused continuously blew horn and followed her car by making obscene gestures and insulted her modesty," a police release said.

He drove very close behind her and forced her to drive off the road at one point. He thus followed her for over 12 km.

Teja has been arrested under IPC sections 354 A, 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) and 336 (act endangering life or personal safety of others).