Two people have been arrested in connection with the alleged rape of a woman in a cab on December 19.

An Ola spokesperson told PTI that the driver was not logged on the Ola platform when the incident took place.

The accused have been identified as 32-year-old Suresh Pandurang Gosavi, the cab driver, and 31-year-old Umesh Jaswant Zala, the passenger in the cab by which the girl was travelling.

According to a Mid-Day report, the woman – a resident of Thane – had let her usual bus go at the Anand Nagar bus stop in Mira Road because it was overcrowded. He and his accomplice allegedly robbed the woman too.

The report quoted a police officer as saying: “After a while she saw an Ola vehicle, in which a passenger was already seated, coming in her direction”.

Later they reportedly took her to a lodge. Instead, she chose to take help from any tourist vehicle moving in Thane’s direction. “The two stopped the vehicle and after assaulting her, snatched cash and valuables from the 32-year-old”, said an officer.

Police said the driver Gosavi raped the 32-year-old inside the auto, following which they planned to take her to a lodge and rape her again.

The duo managed to escape by the time the police arrived, but were soon apprehended.

They later drove her to a lodge in Vajreshwari, where she started screaming for help. However, the woman raised an alarm alerting the manager who immediately called the police control room.

Both the accused were produced in a court and remanded into police custody till December 26. “We have extended all support to the authorities to share any information that will help support their investigation”, the statement said.