Uber’s bid for New Delhi return rejected as rape survivor files lawsuit

Uber has failed to win a licence to resume operations in New Delhi after one of its drivers allegedly raped a female passenger in the Indian capital last month, an official said Thursday. The U.S.-based car-hailing company was banned from Delhi’s streets in the aftermath of the December 5 attack, which sparked new fears about the safety of women in a city with a record of sexual violence. Uber, which connects passengers to drivers through smartphone apps, last week said it was resuming operations after applying for a licence to operate as a radio-taxi company.

We have rejected the application after finding discrepancies in the documents. There were insufficient details for granting a licence.

Delhi transport spokesman R.P. Singh

Announcing the ban last month, authorities had accused the firm of failing to perform adequate background checks on its drivers. The trial began this month of taxi driver Shiv Kumar Yadav, who has pleaded not guilty to claims that he raped a 25-year-old passenger as she was being driven home from a dinner with friends. The alleged victim has also hired high-profile US lawyer Douglas Wigdor to sue San Francisco-based Uber in an American court. The case once again raised the issue of women’s safety in India and particularly in Delhi, which has been dubbed the “rape capital” after a string of high-profile assaults.

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