NEW DELHI: A Meru cab driver and four of his friends allegedly gang-raped a 37-yearold woman after abducting her from Pankha Road in southwest Delhi in the early hours of Friday.

The accused, one of whom was known to the survivor, drove to a puncture repair shop in Peeragarhi in west Delhi where they raped her. Around 4am, they dropped her at the spot from where she was abducted. All the accused were arrested within hours of the crime after the woman lodged a complaint and gave cops the licence plate number of the cab. The accused claimed the woman had fought with them over money. In a statement, Meru cab service said it helped police trace the vehicle and the accused but insisted that the driver was not on duty. It is a very unfortunate incident carried out by the driver when he was not on duty. Meru provided full support to the police by identifying the location of vehicle, residence address of the driver and background details. This helped the police confiscate the vehicle and nab the driver within hours. Meru will continue supporting the police in any further investigation,“ a company spokesperson said.

According to the FIR, the woman was looking for transport around 12am on Pankha Road as she wanted to go to Janakpuri to buy coconut water for her daughter. The accused pulled over in the Meru cab and offered her a lift. Once she got in, the complainant said, the men began to misbehave with her and took her to Peeragarhi instead. The trio was joined by two other men, both puncture mechanics, who then allegedly raped her. Around 4am, the accused dropped her at the spot from where they had abducted her. She confided in her neighbour. They made a PCR call around 5am.