Taxi driver charged with sexual assault after passenger complains she was groped

A Charlottetown taxi driver has been charged with sexual assault after a passenger complained she'd been groped in a cab.

Paramveer Singh Bhurjee, 31, was scheduled to appear in P.E.I. Provincial Court Wednesday.

However, he didn't show up so the judge issued a warrant for his arrest.

Passenger claims driver grabbed her

Bhurjee was charged after a female passenger alleged she was assaulted by a driver in the front passenger seat of a cab in the early hours of Aug.14.

Acourt-ordered publication ban prevents us from naming the woman.

In August, she told CBC News the cab was driving her from Charlottetown over the Hillsborough Bridge, when the driver grabbed her chest forcefully.

She said that she immediately called 911 and that the driver let her out of the taxi in Stratford.

Driver suspended

At the time, the driver denied that an assault took place.

He has not yet entered a plea in court.

The company where the driver worked, Good Taxi Service, said Singh was suspended after the complaint was laid, and he is still not working with the company.

The company's ownerhas said all his employees go through criminal record and vulnerable sector checks.

Separate complaint to RCMP

The female passenger also told CBC News she had filed a formal complaint with the RCMP about the conduct of two officers who first handled her situation.

She said when she got out of the cab at a gas station in Stratfordtwo RCMP officers were already on the scene.

But she said when she told them what happened, they laughed at her and offered to drive her home, but let the cab driver leave.

At the time, RCMP said they would investigate if the woman filed a formal complaint.