Uber’s Asia-Pacific business head had no legal reason to access rape victim’s records: Delhi Police

Uber’s Asia-Pacific business head Eric Alexander, who was fired over his possession and sharing of the medical records of a woman who had been raped while using the company’s service, would have had no legal reason to access such documents during the investigation or trial, a Delhi police official toldThe Guardian.

The official also said that Alexander could have applied for access to the woman’s medical records after the verdict in her case was delivered in 2015, but it was unlikely he would have received permission.

Madhur Verma, a Delhi police official who was in charge of investigating the December 2014 sexual assault case, said he cannot understand how Alexander could have obtained the medical records. “He was a witness in this case, but his deposition had nothing to do with the medical legal report,” he told the publication. “His deposition was about the route taken by the taxi driver, about the driver and how he was recruited. So he was not required to have access to the medical records. There is no reason for it,” he said.

Verma also said it would have been inappropriate for Uber to gain possession of the records, as they were “very private and sensitive documents”. He said it was not right for the company to use government records for its private investigation.

Alexander is believed to have shown the medical records to Uber Chief Executive Officer Travis Kalanick and Senior Vice President Emil Michael, and questions are being asked about how he could have done so. It is also unclear as to when he came into possession of the medical records.

When asked by The Guardian whether it had applied for permission to view the rape victim’s medical records, Uber declined to answer. Instead, it shared a statement from the Indian division president of the company, Amit Gupta. Their statement did not answer the question, but simply said, “The 2014 crime in Delhi was absolutely horrific and something no one should ever go through”.

Following the case, the Uber driver was arrested and sentenced to life imprisonment, while the cab-aggregator service was banned in the Capital till June 2015. In pubic, Uber was apologetic about the rape, but their top management allegedly suspected the case was one of sabotage by Indian rival, Ola.