New Delhi Bans Uber; Cab Driver Suspected Of Rape Spent 7 Months In Jail For 2011 Sexual Assault

Update as of 3:47 a.m. EST: The New Delhi state government has banned Uber's cab service in the state, media reports said Monday afternoon.

Shiv Kumar Yadav, a cab driver for Uber who is accused of raping a 27-year-old woman in New Delhi, India, on Friday night, spent time in jail in connection with another rape case in 2011, media reports said Monday, citing local police. The driver, who was arrested on Sunday, is scheduled to appear in court on Monday.

Yadav reportedly spent seven months in a New Delhi jail for the 2011 incident before being acquitted. After the latest incident, local police say they are working on getting more information about the earlier rape case. The alleged rape on Friday has yet again raised concerns over women's safety in India, and the use of employee background checks by companies providing transportation services in the country. Local police investigating the latest case have reportedly accused San-Francisco-based Uber of failing to screen its drivers.

"Our initial investigations have revealed shortcomings of the private cab company which didn't have GPS installed in its cabs and the staff wasn't verified," Delhi Special Commissioner Deepak Mishra said, according to BBC.

However, Uber, which allows customers to book and pay for a cab with the help of a smartphone app, said that passenger safety is its first priority.

“Uber exclusively partners with registered for-hire drivers who have undergone the commercial licensing process, hold government issued IDs, state-issued permits, and carry full commercial insurance. Uber also has a GPS trace and record of all trips that occur on the platform -- information that has been shared with the authorities,” Uber said, in a statement.

The company also expressed regret over the incident and has said it will cooperate with law enforcement officials in their investigation.

“This is an abhorrent crime. Our thoughts remain with the victim who has shown tremendous courage under the circumstances,” Uber said, in the statement. “We will also work with the community, with government and the technology industry to find more ways to promote safety in transportation, particularly for women – both here in Delhi and throughout India.”

However, according to NDTV, a local news network, Yadav, who had been working with Uber for nearly six months did not have a legitimate commercial driving license from the Delhi Transport Authority. He also did not undergo a police screening, which is mandatory for all drivers of commercial vehicles in the city.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh said Monday that "the spate of rapes in Delhi were unfortunate and there has to be a perceptional change."

According to reports, the incident took place Friday night after the woman, a finance executive, booked the cab using the official app. The woman told police in her complaint that she fell asleep and upon waking found herself in a secluded area. The 32-year-old cab driver allegedly raped her and later threatened to kill her if she spoke about the incident to anyone. Medical tests on the woman reportedly confirmed that she was raped.

Police nabbed the driver in Mathura, a town about 100 miles south of New Delhi, after a search operation Sunday. Yadav was brought to the capital for questioning and, according to local reports, has confessed to the crime.

“The vehicle has been found and is being brought to Delhi and forensic examination will be done,” Delhi police said in a statement, according to local reports.

The latest incident comes just days before the second anniversary of the gang-rape of a medical student in New Delhi in December 2012, which triggered global outrage and put the spotlight on women's safety in India. The incident also prompted the government to tighten laws related to sexual assault in the country.