Diverted Route, Used 'Nature's Call' Pretext: Office Cab Driver Allegedly Rapes Cabin Crew In Hyderabad
Hyderabad Cab Driver Admits To Raping IndiGo Crew Member On Pretext Of 'Nature's Call' Published By, Last Updated: July 23, 2026, 11:28 IST The incident
Hyderabad Cab Driver Admits To Raping IndiGo Crew Member On Pretext Of 'Nature's Call' Published By, Last Updated: July 23, 2026, 11:28 IST The incident took place on July 20 at around 2.40 pm when the woman boarded an airline-arranged cab from Shamshabad to reach the airport. Rapid Read A 23-year-old cab driver was arrested after allegedly sexually assaulting an IndiGo employee during her commute to Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad. (Photos: CNN-News18) A 23-year-old cab driver, arrested for allegedly raping a 37-year-old cabin crew member of a private airline after diverting the vehicle to a secluded location while she was travelling to Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) for duty, has confessed to the crime during interrogation, police said. The RGIA outpost police arrested the accused, identified as Errapogu Prashanth Kumar, from his residence in the Siddhanti area of Shamshabad on Tuesday. According to police, he admitted to the crime during questioning. The incident took place on July 20 at around 2.40 pm when the woman boarded an airline-arranged cab from Shamshabad to reach the airport.
Police said the driver allegedly deviated from the designated route and took the vehicle towards an isolated location near an under-construction site close to the airport. According to police, the accused stepped out of the vehicle on the pretext of answering nature’s call before returning and allegedly committing the crime inside the car. “After getting out of the vehicle, he returned within two to three minutes, entered through the rear door and raped the woman inside the car," Shamshabad ACP V Sreekanth Goud said in a statement. The ACP said the woman resisted the assault and managed to push the accused away. She then opened the car door and escaped while raising an alarm and seeking help from a nearby worker. “Seeing this, the cab driver fled the spot in the vehicle," the ACP said. The survivor approached the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport Police Outpost soon after the incident and lodged a complaint. Based on her statement, police registered a case under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including charges of rape and assault, and began an investigation.
The accused was arrested on July 21, a day after the incident. After undergoing a medical examination, he was produced before a local court, which remanded him to judicial custody. Investigators said the cab service was operated by a local transport agency hired by the airline for ferrying employees to and from the airport. Following the incident, police said they have asked the airline to review safety protocols for employee transportation, particularly for women staff travelling to and from the airport. The airline is cooperating with the investigation and providing all necessary support to the affected employee, police said. Further investigation into the case is underway. (With inputs from agencies) News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit Key Questions Answered What safety measures will airlines implement for staff? Following an alleged rape of an IndiGo crew member, police have asked the airline to review safety measures for its employee transport service. Airport authorities are also reviewing safety protocols and transportation arrangements for employees, particularly those working late or early shifts.
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