Cab rape case: Have to examine why such incidents happen, says Rijiju

Assuring that strict action would be taken against the Uber cab driver accused of raping a woman passenger, Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju on Monday said that it needed to be seen from a social angle as to why such incidents keep happening.

"This is not just the question of law; also have to see why these kinds of incidents are happening. The law has to be there, but this also has to be seen from a social angle," said Rijiju.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh earlier in the day termed the alleged rape of the 27-year-old woman as 'extremely unfortunate and shameful'.

"This is extremely unfortunate and shameful. Laws are to be implemented effectively, strict action and perceptional change is also necessary. When such incidents happen, then we all naturally get hurt," Singh told the media.

The woman was raped by an Uber cab driver earlier on Friday when she hired the taxi to go back to her home in Northwest Delhi, leading to outrage and fear about the safety of women in cabs.

The accused driver, who was arrested yesterday in Mathura, has now been revealed as a repeat offender. According to reports, he was imprisoned in the Tihar jail for 10 months while being tried for allegedly raping a 22-year-old employee of a Gurgaon pub.