A 22-year-old Delhi woman allegedly spent the entire night hiding in a forest near Nainital after escaping from a taxi driver who tried to molest and sexually assault her.
The police said that the driver allegedly diverted the taxi from the main highway to a link road near Patwadangar and stopped the vehicle. Terrified by the situation, the woman somehow managed to escape the cab and ran into a nearby forest, where she remained hidden until morning.
Alleged assault on isolated road
According to police, the woman had hired a taxi from Haldwani around midnight to travel to Nainital. During the journey, the driver appeared intoxicated and began behaving inappropriately with her.
Station House Officer of Tallital Police Station, Manoj Nayal, was quoted by the Hindustan Times as saying, “The woman alleged that the driver, who appeared to be drunk, started molesting her and attempted to sexually assault her. When she resisted, the driver allegedly assaulted her.” He further added that the woman accused the driver of attempting to molest her during the ride.
Police further said that the incident occurred near Patwadangar, around 12 kilometres from Nainital.
Woman hides overnight in forest
Fearing for her life, the woman somehow managed to flee from the vehicle and hid herself in a nearby forest area. Nayal said, “The woman stated that she spent the entire night hiding near the roadside in the forested area.”
Also Read | Holi turns tragic: 4-year-old suffers 45% burns after grandmother throws boiling water on him in Nagpur
On Friday morning, a local resident spotted her and helped her reach the police station in Nainital.
Police said a case has been registered and the woman was taken to BD Pandey Hospital for a medical examination. Officials also conducted a spot investigation to trace the accused driver.
Police said teams have been assigned to locate the taxi driver involved in the incident. Authorities added that efforts are ongoing to trace the accused and arrest him as soon as possible.
