The woman had hired the taxi around 10:30 pm to go to her house in Madhu Vihar.

A taxi driver attempted to rape a woman passenger at Dwarka in South West Delhi on Thursday night.

Accused Ramesh Kumar, a resident of Najafgarh, was arrested. According to police, the victim, who works at a mall in Rajouri Garden, was returning home from workt. “She took a metro from Rajouri Garden and got down at Dwarka Mor metro station. There, she spotted a Maruti Eco taxi and hired it to reach her house in Madhu Vihar,” a senior police officer said.

“One more passenger had taken the same taxi. He got down at Rajapuri. Soon after, the driver stopped the vehicle, got into the rear seat and tried to disrobe the victim, when she resisted, he slapped and punched her. He also threatened her with life if she shouted,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police (South West), R.A. Sanjeev.

“After the incident, Kumar started the taxi and was moving towards Madhu Vihar. A passerby heard the victim’s cries for help and informed the nearby PCR van. Police chased the taxi and apprehended the accused,” he added.

The police have registered a case of rape, as under the amended definition of rape, trying to disrobe a woman with intent to sexually assault also comes under section 376 IPC.

In December last, a 27-year-old woman was allegedly raped by a driver of a >Uber cab, which she had hired to return home from Gurgaon.