Bike taxi rider held for molesting woman in Kalyan; Rapido denies affiliation

A bike taxi rider was arrested in Kalyan area of Thane district in Maharashtra for allegedly molesting a 26yearold woman passenger and stealing Rs 1000 from her police said on MondayThe 19yearold accused a Class VII dropout was arrested on Sunday in connection with the incident that took place on Saturday said an officialDiverted the scooter to a deserted placeAccording to police the woman had booked a ride from the Chickenghar area to her gym near Kalyan railway station at around 7 pm However instead of taking her to the intended destination the rider allegedly diverted the scooter to a deserted and poorly lit stretch near the police colony in the Syndicate area reported the PTIWhen the woman objected the accused reportedly stopped the scooter grabbed her hand and behaved indecently He also allegedly snatched her purse and took Rs 1000 from it The woman raised an alarm following which local residents rushed to the spot assaulted the rider and later handed him over to the policeHe has been remanded to police custody till December 18Rapido denies affiliationMeanwhile bike taxi operator Rapido has denied affiliation with the suspectAn official statement issued by Rapido on Monday said We are aware of the extremely disturbing incident reported from Kalyan Maharashtra and appreciate the swift action taken by the police in apprehending the accused The nature of the allegations is deeply concerning and our thoughts remain with the victim and their family during this difficult timeIt is essential to clarify that the accused individual is not and has never been a Rapido Captain His name was incorrectly linked to our brand in early reports This individual applied to join Rapido but we denied his onboarding because he utterly failed to meet our rigorous eligibility and verification standards His rejection at the gate is a testament to the robust safeguards built into our system As confirmed by the authorities the complainant had booked a bike taxi ride on another platform on 13 December 2025 the statement saidIt further said Rapido as a lawabiding organisation maintains a gold standard of safety across all operations All captains registered on Rapido undergo rigorous onboarding protocols including comprehensive background verification strict KYC checks mandatory training modules on conduct and safety and immediate suspension upon receiving credible complaintsSafety standards in place RapidoWe have further strengthened our safeguards with post10 pm safety checkins for women riders 24times7 inapp SOS support with rapid escalation and continuous prompts encouraging riders to verify captain and vehicle details before every trip Passenger safety especially the safety and dignity of women is of paramount importance to us the statement said saidIt further said We reiterate with absolute clarity the accused has no affiliation with Rapido and has never been part of our captain fleet His earlier rejection underscores the importance of stringent compliance across the industry We urge all mobility platforms to strengthen due diligence and ensure that only verified and compliant individuals are allowed to operate for public service Rapido will extend full cooperation to law enforcement whenever required As always we remain committed to fostering a mobility ecosystem rooted in safety accountability and respectrdquo