Uber rape case: Cabbie had been jailed earlier for same offence

Shiv Kumar Yadav allegedly told the police that he had spent seven months in jail in a rape case in 2011

The 32-year-old cabbie, who allegedly raped an executive on Friday night, would not have been behind the wheel of the Uber taxi had the US-based company run a background check and got police verification done as he had earlier been jailed too in a rape case.

Shiv Kumar Yadav, who was arrested yesterday in his home town Mathura, is a repeat offender, it was revealed during his initial interrogation by the police.

He has allegedly told the police that he had spent seven months in jail in a rape case which was filed against him in south Delhi's Mehrauli area in 2011.

"He claims that he was later acquitted in the case. We are verifying these claims," said a police official.

Yadav will be produced before a local court today and his police custody will be sought for further investigation and questioning.

He was brought to Delhi last night after being arrested from Mathura in Uttar Pradesh, about 160 km from the national capital.

Meanwhile, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) workers and NSUI members staged protests outside the residence of Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh over the issue this morning.