Taxi driver held for molesting Australian student

 A 30-year-old taxi driver was arrested for allegedly molesting an Australian student in Colaba area of South Mumbai, police said today.

The 20-year-old student lodged a complaint against the driver on January 26, they said.

The victim came to city on a student visa of six weeks for an academic course with an NGO and was staying in a ladies hostel in Colaba area, police said.

On January 20, when she took a taxi, she was allegedly touched inappropriately by the driver Jia Ul Ansari (30) under the pretext of fastening seat belt, police said, adding, same act was repeated by the driver on January 23 as well.

Ansari who is a resident of Worli drives taxi in Colaba area and has been nabbed from there, police said.

The victim who was scared since the taxi driver kept on following her movements shared this incident with her friends and colleagues in hostel and later lodged a complaint with Colaba police on January 26, the official said.

A case of molestation under section 354 of the IPC has been registered against Ansari, Manojkumar Sharma, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone-1) said.

He was produced in the court and has been sent to police custody for one day, the officer added.