A solo trip turned into a night-long ordeal for a woman from Delhi who spent hours hiding in a forest in Uttarakhand after allegedly escaping an attempted rape by a taxi driver near Nainital, police said.
According to investigators, the woman, reported to be in her early thirties, had arrived in Kathgodam from Delhi via Dehradun on Thursday and hired a taxi to travel to Nainital.
During the journey, around 1.30 am, the driver allegedly diverted the vehicle to a deserted road near Patwa Dangar, about 12 kilometres from the lake town.
When the woman objected to the change in route, the driver allegedly stopped the vehicle, verbally abused her and assaulted her, police said. He also snatched her mobile phone and allegedly attempted to rape her.
The woman alleged that the driver appeared intoxicated and tried to molest her after taking the vehicle onto a link road away from the highway.
To escape the attack, the woman ran out of the taxi and fled into nearby woods, where she remained hidden through the night despite being injured and without her phone.
She eventually managed to reach Patwa Dangar village on Friday morning, where local residents helped her contact authorities and file a police complaint.
Police said they immediately launched an investigation, collected evidence from the scene and sent the victim for a medical examination.
Using CCTV footage, the taxi’s registration number and GPS tracking data, investigators traced the accused driver to Deepak Singh Bora (39), a resident of Haldwani living on Pines Bhawali Road.
The police said Bora has been arrested and the victim’s stolen mobile phone was recovered from him. The vehicle used in the incident has also been seized.
Based on the complaint, a case has been registered under the provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita relating to rape, robbery and abduction.
Manjunath TC, Senior Superintendent of Police of Nainital, said authorities are treating the case with utmost seriousness. “The safety of tourists and the general public is a top priority in Nainital, and strict legal action will be taken against those who commit such crimes,” he said.
The officer also cautioned taxi owners to ensure proper verification before handing over vehicles to drivers.
“Taxi owners must verify the documents and background of drivers before giving them vehicles. Non-compliance will invite strict action,” he warned, adding that the accused driver was operating a taxi belonging to another person.
Police said the investigation into the incident is underway.
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