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The passenger, who reported being raped and
beaten after hailing a ride with the Uber driver in Delhi in
early December, sued the online car service in a U.S. federal
court in January, claiming the company failed to maintain basic
safety procedures.
In a filing late on Monday, Uber said the court should dismiss
the lawsuit as the victim had sued the wrong party.
"While Plaintiff undoubtedly can state a claim against her
alleged assailant, she cannot state a claim against Uber U.S.,
which is the wrong party. Nor does California law govern a
dispute involving an alleged wrong committed by one Indian
citizen against another Indian citizen, in India," Uber said in
the filing.
Uber said it had no relationship with the alleged assailant who
had a contract with Uber B.V., a Netherlands-based entity with
no U.S. operations and which is not party to the lawsuit.
The victim's attorney, Douglas Wigdor, has represented
high-profile plaintiffs, including a hotel maid who accused
former International Monetary Fund chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn
of sexual assault. Wigdor was not immediately available for
comment outside regular U.S. business hours.
Charges against a Chicago Uber driver who was accused of raping
a female passenger late last year were dropped on Monday.
Uber, the world's most valuable venture-backed start-up with a
valuation of $40 billion, has been dogged by controversies
surrounding its business practices and safety policies at a time
when it has been growing rapidly around the world.
The case in U.S. District Court, Northern District of California
is Doe vs. Uber Technologies Inc, 15-424.
(Reporting by Supriya Kurane in Bengaluru and Dan Levine in San
Francisco; Editing by Anupama Dwivedi)
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