MUMBAI: A special POCSO court on Wednesday denied bail to Shreyansh Pandey (23), a Vikhroli-based cab aggregator driver arrested in May for allegedly molesting a 14-year-old girl during a ride to her home. The court observed that his claim of being falsely implicated could not be accepted, especially since he had no prior acquaintance with the victim.
“Based on the FIR, there is prima facie evidence suggesting the accused committed the offence. The investigation is ongoing, and I do not find grounds to grant bail,” the judge stated.
The girl’s father, along with special public prosecutor Geeta Sharma, strongly opposed the bail plea, citing concerns over the girl’s safety. Sharma argued that releasing Pandey could endanger other passengers and that there was a risk he might abscond to his home state before trial proceedings begin.
Sequence of Events
According to the prosecution, the incident occurred on May 13. The girl had called her father after school and requested a cab to return home. Her father booked a ride through a cab-hailing app, but when he contacted her to confirm the cab’s arrival, she informed him that a car with a different license plate had picked her up.
Although confused, the girl boarded the vehicle and texted her father. A short while later, he noticed on the app that the cab was traveling on the Eastern Express Highway, which was not on the designated route to their home. When he asked his daughter how this happened, she said she had repeatedly asked the driver to stop, but he refused. She also said he was playing loud music, took two wrong turns, and missed another turn leading to her residence.
When the father confronted Pandey over the phone, the driver allegedly tried to snatch the girl’s phone. Alarmed, the father used the safety button on the app and also dialed 100 to alert police. On hearing this, Pandey finally stopped the cab and allowed the girl to exit.
In her complaint, the girl said the driver stared at her continuously through the rearview mirror, offered her a cigarette, and attempted to touch her inappropriately while pretending to take her phone.
The court took note of these details while denying bail, underscoring the seriousness of the allegations and the need to ensure the safety of the victim and the public.
