Uber driver allowed to examine himself as defence witness

New Delhi, February 4: A court here on Wednesday allowed a plea of the Uber cab driver, who is accused of raping a woman executive in his taxi, to examine himself as a defence witness in the case. Additiol Sessions Judge Kaveri Baweja allowed driver Shiv Kumar Yadav’s plea to examine himself as a defence witness, and fixed Thursday for recording his statement. The court, however, dismissed a plea by the accused seeking CCTV visuals of the area from where the woman hired the cab and for recalling her, her friend and the investigation officer for further cross–examition. Yadav’s counsel submitted that lodging a rape case against the driver and then filing a lawsuit against Uber in the US was a well–hatched conspiracy planned by the woman and her friend to seek compensation. The court said the woman’s lawsuit in the US has nothing to do with the rape case. (ians)