Delhi woman allgedly raped by Uber driver to sue company in the US

A Delhi woman who was allegedly raped by a Uber taxi driver in Delhi late last year plans to sue the taxi service for negligence in the US courts. She has asked Douglas Wigdor, New York’s most high-profile litigators to represent her, according to a report by The Guardian. Wigdor is reportedly examining if its possible to ask the US court to exercise jurisdiction in the case as Uber’s conduct was based on company policy made in the US. He also said there are chances the court could consider doing so. According to the news report, he said, “I can confirm that I have been retained by the young lady who was raped by an Uber driver in Delhi, India, last December. Having met extensively with her and her family while in Delhi, I can only compliment them for their bravery and fortitude during this very difficult time. We will use all of our resources to vindicate my client’s rights, hold those responsible for their actions and ensure that this doesn’t happen again.” The 27-year-old finance professional was raped inside an Uber cab , which she had hired from Gurgaon to go home. She fell asleep in the back and woke up to find the cab in a secluded area. The driver then went on to sexually assault her and threatened her with dire consequences if she informed the cops. Later he dropped her home and abandoned the vehicle. Authorities in Delhi reacted by banningUber from operating in the capital. One of Uber’s drivers, Shiv Kumar Yadav, was also arrested over the alleged rape. Uber was accused of not only failing to check if the driver had a clean police record but also for not having the proper licenses to operate here. The Delhi Transport department is now  **amending laws** to bring app-based aggregators under the Radio Taxi Scheme of 2006. This means companies like Uber will be held responsible for the conduct of drivers employed and will also need to ensure their police verification. Some other changes in the new radio taxi regulations include mandatory GPS/GPRS tracking devices, valid public service badge issued in Delhi, driver’s photograph and licence details displayed on the dashboard.