Overview
- Police arrested 19-year-old Siddhesh Pardeshi for allegedly molesting and robbing a 26-year-old passenger in Kalyan and recovered a knife from him.
- He was produced before a holiday court and remanded to police custody until December 18 for further investigation.
- The woman had booked an evening ride toward her gym when the route was allegedly diverted to a secluded area near the police colony, where locals intervened and detained the rider.
- Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik has convened an urgent Motor Vehicles Department meeting to review legality, safety measures, and whether to withdraw temporary permissions for platforms including Rapido, Ola, and Uber.
- Regulatory scrutiny has intensified with the Kalyan RTO penalising 47 Rapido riders for permit violations and Mumbai police earlier filing FIRs against company directors over alleged illegal bike‑taxi operations.