US woman molested by bike taxi driver in Lucknow

A 27-year-old woman from the US was allegedly molested by a bike taxi driver in Lucknow's Hazratganj area, police said on Thursday.

The woman, who is on a one-year visa, was on her way to work when she was sexually harassed by bike taxi driver Vijay Kumar, Hazratganj Circle Officer Abhay Kumar Mishra told PTI.

She had booked the bike taxi from Sikandar Bagh to New Hyderabad here when Kumar (28) touched her inappropriately and indulged in sleazy talk, the circle officer said, adding that the driver was later arrested.

The woman later told her colleagues about the incident and police were informed, Mishra said, adding that she had been living in Lucknow for the past few months and usually booked a bike taxi to reach her place of work.

Based on the woman's complaint, Kumar was booked under IPC sections 342 (wrongful confinement), 354 (criminal assault with intent to outrage modesty), 354A (sexual harassment), 354B (assault to woman with an intent to outrage her modesty) and 509 (act intended to insult modesty of woman), the circle officer said.

Police tracked the accused and arrested him, Mishra said, adding that Kumar confessed to molesting the woman.