Uber Tries to Get Lawsuit Over Alleged India Rape Thrown Out of US Court

AlterNet
and
 Michael Arria
April 08, 2015

The ride-sharing company Uber is trying to get a lawsuit filed by an alleged rape victim thrown out of a California court. In December, the passenger reported that she was raped and beaten by an Uber driver in Delhi. She is now suing the company for failing to adhere to necessary safety precautions. In a filing, Uber insists that a California court can't rule on a, "dispute involving an alleged wrong committed by one Indian citizen against another Indian citizen, in India."

The passenger's lawyer, Douglas Wigdor, chalks the motion up as, "an obvious attempt to deflect responsibility."

Police in India believe that the driver, Shiv Kumar Yadav, could be connected to other passenger attacks. They have publicly stated that they believe Uber failed to properly examine his credentials before allowing him to work for the company.

Although some have suggested Uber's presence in India was limited, we now know that the company incorporated a subsidiary in India as early as August 2013. Uber India Systems actually had its co-founder, Travis Kalanick, on its board but he resigned just weeks before the alleged assault. Uber's head of global operations, Ryan Graves, also resigned before the alleged rape. The police are currently investigating these resignations in relation to the company's safety procedures and have written Uber requesting information about members of its India team.

Uber has seemingly been embroiled in controversy regarding its treatment of women since the company's inception. Last month, its partnership with UN Women fell apart before it even started. 

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