Dehradun, March 7 A solo trip turned into a night of terror for a woman from Delhi who spent the entire night hiding in a forest in Uttarakhand, injured and without a mobile phone, to escape what she alleged was an attempted rape by her taxi driver.
On Thursday, the 31-year-old woman arrived in Kathgodam from Delhi via Dehradun and hired a taxi for Nainital. On the way, around 1.30 am, the taxi driver diverted the vehicle towards a deserted road near the lake city, police said.
When the woman objected, the driver stopped the vehicle and began verbally abusing and assaulting her, the police said, adding that he also snatched her mobile phone and attempted to rape her.
To save herself, the woman ran towards the forest and hid in a forest overnight. She somehow managed to reach the Patwa Dangar village on Friday morning, and with the help of locals, filed a police report.
The police immediately swung into action. They collected evidence and sent the woman for a medical examination, the police said.
Based on the woman's complaint, a case was registered under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita pertaining to punishment for rape, robbery, and abduction, they said.
Using CCTV cameras, the taxi's number, and its GPS system, police tracked the accused driver, identified as Deepak Singh Bora (39) from Pines Bhawali Road.
The victim's stolen mobile phone was recovered from Bora, a resident of Haldwani, the police said, adding that his vehicle has also been seized.
Nainital Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Manjunath TC said that the safety of tourists and the general public is a top priority in Nainital, and that strict legal action will be taken against those who commit such crimes.
He also warned taxi owners and urged them to verify their paperwork before handing their vehicles over to drivers. Non-compliance of orders will result in strict action against them.
Manjunath added that the accused involved in the incident was also driving someone else's taxi.