Five-year jail, Rs 25,000 fine for a 50-year-old driver in Kochi who abused girl inside cab

KOCHI: The Ernakulam Additional District and Sessions Court on Thursday awarded five years’ rigorous imprisonment to a 50-year-old taxi driver for molesting a minor girl and slapped a fine of Rs 25,000 on him.

Eloor resident Yusuf molested the girl when she hired an online taxi driven by him to reach her house after tuition classes at Kennedy Mukku. The incident occurred in July, 2019. “The act of the accused as a driver is something serious which affects the credibility of the Uber services.

It is a warning to the child and woman passengers travelling alone and during night against the unexpected behaviour of the drivers. In order to make sure that such passengers are travelling in a safe and secured, and also pleasant, manner, as expected and offered by the company,incidents like this, should not be repeated,” the court observed.

“This case should be a message by giving adequate punishment to the accused. Therefore he’s not entitled to any leniency,” the order by the court for trial of cases relating to atrocities and sexual violence towards women and children said.

After the amount is realised, it should be paid to the survivor as compensation. Special Public Prosecutor P A Bindhu and lawyer Sarun Mankara appeared for the prosecution. The police registered the case on July 13, 2019, after recording the statements of the survivor and arrested Yusuf on the next day. Thrikkakara Sub-Inspector P P Justin filed the charge sheet before the court in the case.