3 cab apps under Delhi Police lens
Delhi Police plan to send formal notices to three major app-based cab companies, asking for detailed records about how they hired and verified Bashu Kumar Singh, the 29-year-old accused of raping and murdering an 11-year-old girl in Mehrauli, south Delhi. This move aims to find out how he was able to work as a driver.
This action comes just days after Bashu was quickly arrested, raising serious questions about background checks in the ride-hailing industry. Investigators said Singh, originally from Bihar and living in Gurugram, had worked as a cab driver on several platforms in the Delhi-NCR area for almost 10 years, despite a known criminal record.
Early Monday morning, around 5 am, the young girl was taken from the pavement at CDR Chowk in Mehrauli while she was sleeping with her family. Bishu allegedly drove her away in his cab, sexually assaulted her, strangled her, and left her body in a forested area along the Gurugram-Faridabad Road.
Her family raised the alarm right away. Police filed a case under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for kidnapping, rape, and murder, as well as under the POCSO Act.
Within six hours, a team led by Mehrauli SHO Ritesh Sharma found and arrested Bishu in West Delhi while he was dropping off a passenger. Police used CCTV footage, local tips, and digital data, including GPS from cab apps, to find him. He was put to sustained interrogation and reportedly confessed to his crime and showed the police where the body was. The body was recovered and sent for a post-mortem at Safdarjung Hospital.
Registered in Bihar, including multiple charges of sexual assault and attempt to murder. Despite this record, he continued driving for ride-hailing apps. His cab was linked to at least two major aggregators, and police suspect he may not have undergone mandatory police verification. This raises further questions about oversight.
The notices sent to the three companies will ask for documents detailing how Bishu was hired, what checks were conducted, and why warnings about his criminal history were overlooked. Senior officers said the companies will be asked about their background check process for drivers with criminal records. Now, the focus is on how these companies check their drivers internally.
On Tuesday, while police took Bishu to the crime scene for reconstruction, he allegedly tried to escape by grabbing a policeman’s pistol and firing it. Police shot back in self-defence and injured his leg. He was treated at Madan Mohan Malviya Hospital and is still in custody. This incident added another twist to the case. It has once again spotlighted vulnerabilities in app-based cab services, particularly regarding passenger and public safety when drivers with serious criminal antecedents are allowed to operate. With forensic samples collected from the crime scenes and the post-mortem report awaited, the investigation continues to focus on both the crime and systemic lapses that enabled the accused to remain on the road.
“Delhi Police’s action against the cab companies shows a push for stricter rules in an industry that moves millions of people every day. As the investigation continues, these notices could set an example for requiring real-time criminal background checks for all drivers on every platform”, a police official said.
