The Kerala High Court on Thursday directed the police to explain the circumstances leading to the registration of a criminal case against a Uber taxi driver who was assaulted by three women in the city.
The court sought the explanation after pulling up the police for slapping the charges of outraging the modesty of women on the driver. The court made the observation when an anticipatory bail petition filed by Shefique T.I. of Kumbalam came up for hearing. The court also restrained the police from arresting him till September 3.
The court wanted to know how could the police register a case for outraging the modesty of woman, simply because women happened to be the complainants. There should have been some material in the complaint for constituting an offence under Section 354 (assault or criminal force on woman with an intent to outrage her modesty) of the Indian Penal Code. The matter needs to be looked into in detail.
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Mr. Shefique said in his petition that when he reached the pick-up point, the three women who booked the share taxi asked him to throw out a passenger in his vehicle. He was then brutally attacked and disrobed by the women. It was evident from the video clippings of the incident. He was assaulted with a stone and he sustained injuries.