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Uber fails in bid for New Delhi return

New Delhi - Uber has failed to win a licence to resume operations in New Delhi after one of its drivers allegedly raped a female passenger in the Indian capital in December, an official said on Thursday.

The US-based car-hailing company was banned from Delhi's streets in the aftermath of the December 5 attack, which sparked new fears about the safety of women in a city with a high record of sexual violence.

Uber, which connects passengers to drivers through smartphone apps, last week said it was resuming operations after applying for a licence to operate as a radio-taxi company.

But the Delhi transport department said on Thursday the application had been rejected after "discrepancies" were found, including lack of proof of an office address and details of management.

"We have rejected the application after finding discrepancies in the documents," said transport spokesperson RP Singh.

'Rape capital'

"There were insufficient details for granting a licence," he said. Uber could "rectify the errors and re-apply" he added.

An Uber spokesperson could not be contacted for comment.

Announcing the ban last month, authorities had accused the firm of failing to perform adequate background checks on its drivers.

The trial began this month of taxi driver Shiv Kumar Yadav, who has pleaded not guilty to claims that he raped a 25-year-old passenger as she was being driven home from a dinner with friends.

The alleged victim has also hired high-profile US lawyer Douglas Wigdor to sue San Francisco-based Uber in the American courts.

The case once again raised the issue of women's safety in India and particularly in Delhi, which has been dubbed the "rape capital" after a string of high-profile assaults.

The fatal gang-rape of a student on a bus in Delhi triggered mass protests in December 2012, prompting India to tighten its laws on sex crimes.

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