A former Uber driver in India has been sentenced to life in prison for raping a female passenger, the BBC and other outlets reported Tuesday.
Shiv Kumar Yadav was convicted of kidnapping and raping a 26-year-old woman in Delhi last year.
Yadav's lawyer vowed to appeal the decision.
"My client is innocent," DK Mishra told reporters, according to the BBC.
The case sparked outrage in India and led to a temporary ban on online car-hailing services in Delhi. The company later instituted new background checks for drivers there, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Amit Jain, president of Uber India, issued the following response to the conviction, according to the Times: “Sexual assault is a terrible crime and we are pleased he has now been brought to justice." The San Francisco-based parent company has not responded to a request for comment from Refinery29. The victim in the Delhi rape also filed a lawsuit against the company in the United States, the BBC reports, but that case was ultimately settled out of court. Uber has undergone a rapid expansion in India, its largest geographical market outside of the United States. The company said in August that its operations there had grown to include 150,000 drivers across 22 cities.
Amit Jain, president of Uber India, issued the following response to the conviction, according to the Times: “Sexual assault is a terrible crime and we are pleased he has now been brought to justice." The San Francisco-based parent company has not responded to a request for comment from Refinery29. The victim in the Delhi rape also filed a lawsuit against the company in the United States, the BBC reports, but that case was ultimately settled out of court. Uber has undergone a rapid expansion in India, its largest geographical market outside of the United States. The company said in August that its operations there had grown to include 150,000 drivers across 22 cities.
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