A 26-year-old woman was allegedly molested by a Rapido bike rider while travelling to her gym in Maharashtra’s Kalyan, police said on Monday. The accused is also alleged to have stolen Rs 1,000 from her purse.
The incident took place on Saturday evening after the woman booked a Rapido bike to travel from the Chickenghar area to her gym near Kalyan railway station around 7 PM.
Rider Took Victim To Isolated Spot
According to the police, instead of heading towards the destination, the rider diverted the two-wheeler to a deserted, poorly lit stretch near a police colony in the Syndicate area.
“When the woman objected, he stopped the scooter, grabbed her hand and behaved in an indecent manner,” said Baliramsingh Pardeshi, senior inspector at Mahatma Phule police station.
Police said the accused also tried to rape the woman. She raised an alarm, following which local residents rushed to the spot.
Locals Rescue Victim, Accused Arrested
The locals caught hold of the rider and beat him before police arrived and brought the situation under control. The accused was identified as Siddhesh Pardeshi (19), a Class VII dropout, who has been working with Rapido for the past one-and-a-half months.
“He also snatched her purse and took Rs 1,000 from it. We have recovered a knife from the accused,” the senior inspector said.
Based on the woman’s complaint, a case has been registered and further investigation is underway to determine whether the accused was involved in similar offences earlier.
Pardeshi has been remanded to police custody till December 18.
Transport Violations And Action Against Aggregators
Meanwhile, the Kalyan Regional Transport Office (RTO) said a challan was issued under the Motor Vehicles Act for using the two-wheeler as an unauthorised bike taxi.
The rider violated provisions of the Maharashtra Bike Taxi Rules 2025 by operating a petrol-powered motorcycle instead of an electric two-wheeler, which is mandatory, an RTO official told PTI.
“Penal action has been initiated and a fine imposed. We have written to the local police to register a complaint against the bike taxi aggregator company for violating permit terms,” the official said.
In a statement, the state transport department said it had sought explanations from aggregators such as Rapido, Ola and Uber for “illegally transporting passengers by flouting the law”, warning that temporary licences could be cancelled.
Minister To Hold Urgent Review Meeting
Following the incident, Maharashtra Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik will hold an urgent meeting with officials of the Motor Transport Department at 10:30 AM on December 17.
