New Delhi, Oct. 20: An Uber cab driver accused of raping an executive in his vehicle last December has been convicted in the case that triggered a crackdown on taxi-hailing services and ensured that such new-age services gave primacy to the safety of passengers.

Shiv Kumar Yadav, 32, faces a maximum punishment of life imprisonment, which will mean imprisonment for his remaining natural life.

He was held guilty of committing rape, causing grievous bodily harm, abducting with intent to compel the victim for marriage, criminal intimidation and causing hurt.

"Shiv Kumar Yadav is convicted of all the charges. To come up for arguments on quantum of sentence on October 23," additional sessions judge Kaveri Baweja said.

The court said the detailed judgment would be made available on October 23 after pronouncement of the sentence.

Yadav, who was brought to the court from jail, appeared stunned as the judge read out the verdict. He was escorted out of the courtroom by policemen.

His family members, including his wife and parents, were present in the courtroom but did not get a chance to talk to him as he was immediately taken back to the lock-up.

According to the prosecution, the incident took place on the night of December 5 last year, when the victim, a finance executive working in Gurgaon, was heading back to her house at Inderlok in northwest Delhi.

The prosecution had told the court that Yadav had slapped her several times and pressed her neck. The prosecutor had said that according to the doctor, the scratch marks on the victim's neck indicated an attempt to strangulate her.

While the victim's father, who was present in the court, expressed satisfaction that justice had been done to his daughter, the driver's wife broke down outside the courtroom and said the family had been ruined.

"We are from a poor background and those who have resources succeed. God is watching everything," she said while complaining that she was not allowed to talk to her husband even for a minute.

Special public prosecutor Atul Shrivastava said he would demand the maximum punishment for Yadav.

D.K. Mishra, the counsel for Yadav, said he would challenge today's verdict in Delhi High Court.

Yadav had denied all the allegations levelled against him, terming them "false".

While the prosecution had produced 28 witnesses in the case, the driver had not examined anyone in his defence.

The woman had told the court that on the day of incident, after finishing her work she had gone for a party with friends and had booked an Uber cab to return home. She boarded the cab, being driven by Yadav, at Vasant Vihar and fell asleep in the car, she had told the court.

The woman added that when she woke up, she found Yadav sitting on the back seat. When she tried to raise the alarm, he slapped her repeatedly and threatened to insert a rod while reminding her of the December 16, 2012, gang rape.

She said the car was stopped at a secluded place where Yadav raped her and dropped her at her house.