Cab's GPS helped track down gang-rape accused

The Delhi Police on Saturday arrested the driver of a Meru cab, involved in the gang-rape of a woman in west Delhi, by identifying the location of vehicles at the spot reported by the 37-year-old victim.

A list of drivers’ names and address was provided by Meru cabs on the basis of Global Positioning System (GPS).

“All of them were detained, and the accused was identified by the woman,” said a police officer. It helped the police to confiscate the vehicle and nab the other four accused within hours. Sources said one of the accused was also known to the woman.

The woman claimed she was gang-raped by five men after being forced into the cab on Friday. She was allegedly driven around west Delhi and later taken to a shop.

A team from Paschim Vihar police station recorded the woman’s statement after she was let off at 4:30 am on Friday. After she identified the vehicle as a Meru cab, police contacted the firm’s headquarters.

“They cooperated with the investigating team and provided a list of suspects within an hour,” the officer added.

Real-time tracking
According to Meru, they have the ability to track the location of a cab “real-time” through GPS technology, which provides security in case of an emergency.

They also claimed that the driver was employed after proper background check. During questioning, the accused said they did not expect the woman to approach the police. As one of the accused was known to the woman, they had threatened to kill her and her children. The woman alleged that she was kidnapped in Sagarpur near Paschim Vihar and gang-raped inside a shop where punctured tyres are repaired in Peeragarhi.

The shop is about 15 kilometers away from the spot from where she was kidnapped. The investigating team is also trying to ascertain if the five accused attacked any other woman in the past. No criminal history has emerged so far.