New Delhi: A 25-year-old woman, who was raped allegedly by the driver of US-based cab service provider Uber, today stood firm on her stand in a Delhi court that it was the accused who had sexually assaulted her in December last year.
The woman executive, who appeared in the court wearing a burqa, was cross-examined by the counsel for accused Shiv Kumar Yadav before Additional Sessions Judge Kaveri Baweja.
The hearing took place in-camera and, according to court sources, the woman remained calm and deposed confidently.
The woman stuck to her version which she had deposed yesterday during her examination by special public prosecutor Atul Shrivastava.
During the day's hearing, on being asked by Yadav's counsel Aalok Dwivedi whether it is correct that on the night of the alleged incident on December 5, 2014, no sexual intercourse was established between her and the accused, the woman denied, saying she had raised an alarm but could not save herself as the driver had overpowered and raped her.
The recording of statement of the woman, who is the first prosecution witness in the case, remained inconclusive and would continue tomorrow. During the hearing, 32-year-old Yadav was also present inside the courtroom.
Yadav was yesterday identified in the court by the woman as the one who had raped her on the night of December 5, 2014 when she had hired the cab and was returning to her home in west Delhi's Inderlok area.
Meanwhile, Yadav was also produced in another court which extended his judicial custody till January 30 in connection with a separate forgery case lodged against him after the rape case.
Police had alleged that a tout had assisted Yadav in procuring fake character certificate on the seal of the Delhi Police and got it attested from a notary.
According to the police, Yadav had got All India Tourist Permit after submitting the character certificate to the State Transport Authority in Burari here.
In the rape case, sources had said the woman told the court that when she had raised an alarm, Yadav had slapped her several times and also threatened to insert a rod.
The court had on January 13 framed charges against Yadav and ordered that the trial will proceed on a daily basis.
The court had framed charges under various sections of the Indian Penal Code for alleged offences of endangering a woman's life while raping her, kidnapping her with an intent to compel her for marriage, criminally intimidating and causing hurt.
The police had filed the charge sheet 19 days after the incident on the night of December 5 last year when the victim, who was working for a finance company in Gurgaon, was headed back home.
Earlier, Yadav had created a drama in the court alleging that he would not sign the charge order sheet as arguments on framing of charges were not advanced in his presence.
Later, after being assured by the judge that nothing wrong was being done to him and legal procedures were being followed by the court, he had agreed and gave it in writing that he was signing the order on charge at his own will.
Yadav had refused to undergo test identification parade (TIP), saying the woman had already seen his photograph in Uber's website and she would definitely identify him. TIP is a process under the criminal law through which a victim of a crime identifies an accused.
Yadav was arrested on December 7 from Mathura in a joint operation by Delhi and Uttar Pradesh police.
Police had also told the court that Yadav was hired by Uber, and claimed that the firm had not verified his particulars. Police has lodged a case of cheating against the firm.