Uber Driver In India Charged With Rape, Abduction, Threat To Life; Court Rejects Lifting Ban On Uber

New Delhi police on Wednesday filed charges against Shiv Kumar Yadav, the Uber-associated cab driver who is accused of raping a 27-year-old woman in New Delhi, India, earlier this month, local media reports said. Yadav has been charged with rape, abduction, and threat to life among other charges.

Yadav will reportedly be held under judicial custody until Jan. 2 when the court will scrutinize the charges, which were filed 17 days after his arrest. The 32-year-old, who had been working with Uber for nearly six months, was undergoing trial in a 2013 rape case and was out on bail at the time of the latest crime. He has reportedly appealed to the court to provide him with a government lawyer to represent him in the case.

Delhi police booked the San-Francisco-based company on charges of cheating customers by promising them a safe commute by verified drivers, and its services were banned for failing to run a complete check on its drivers.

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday also refused to lift the ban on Uber cabs in the capital city, The Times of India, a local newspaper reported. Uber’s services have also been banned in several other Indian cities amid growing concerns over the company’s credibility. Authorities had earlier revealed that a character certificate presented by Yadav to the company, and claimed was issued by Delhi police, was fake.

Authorities have also banned the use of Internet-based taxi services that are not registered with the state government until they acquire the correct operating license.