'Held my hand, snatched my laptop': HR executive jumps off Rapido auto-rickshaw; driver suspended

GURGAON: In a bid to escape, a 42-year-old woman, an HR executive, jumped from a moving Rapido autorickshaw after its driver allegedly harassed her during the ride in the city on Thursday evening.The woman's husband said she sustained injuries to her legs but was stable.Police said an FIR was registered at the New Colony station against the driver – Atul Kataria – under sections 75(2) for sexual harassment and 79 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.The accused is yet to be arrested. An official of Rapido, a cab-auto-bike taxi aggregator app, told TOI that the firm has suspended the driver.According to the woman's husband, she booked an auto ride through Rapido from Basai Chowk around 6pm. He told that while sitting in the auto, his wife felt that the driver was under the infleunce of some substance and she waited for him to stop the vehicle"When they reached near Feroz Gandhi Colony, he stopped the vehicle and suddenly held her hand. She pulled away and confronted him, but then the auto driver tried to snatch her laptop. She pushed him," the husband told TOI.Angered, the auto driver started the auto and accelerated. "To save herself, my wife jumped out of the speeding auto while holding her belongings. She has injuries on her legs," he said.Even after the woman's fall, the husband said, the driver started calling the woman and sending abusive messages to her. This prompted her to call police and file a complaint. Cops dropped the HR executive back home, he said.Deeply shaken by the distressing incident: Rapido"We are deeply shaken by the distressing incident reported in Gurgaon, and our hearts go out to the rider affected. Nothing matters more to us than the safety and well-being of our riders, especially women, and we unequivocally condemn any act that violates this trust.""The authorities have already filed an FIR against the driver, and we are extending our full cooperation to support the investigation to ensure that justice is delivered swiftly. In parallel, we acted immediately to permanently suspend and blacklist him from our platform.""Rapido has zero tolerance for any form of harassment and remains steadfast in its commitment to passenger safety. Alongside strict KYC verification and immediate suspension on credible reports, we have rolled out proactive safeguards such as post-10:00 p.m. safety calls to women riders to confirm ride completion, 24×7 in-app SOS support with rapid escalation, and ongoing safety reminders urging riders to verify vehicle and captain details before every trip.""Passenger safety is the benchmark that drives every decision we make. Our efforts will continue to focus on enhancing safety protocols and safeguards to better protect our riders and captains," Rapido said in a statement.