Solo Female Traveller Rescued by UP Cops from Harassers on Bus

The woman contacted police after 35 passengers got off at Haldwana, leaving her alone with 5 men who began drinking.

A woman travelling back alone at night from Nainital to Delhi on Sunday night in an air-conditioned bus had a harrowing experience as the driver and co-passengers attempted to assault her, reported The Times of India.

When the driver allegedly tried to take the bus into the Tanda forest after Haldwani, she tried frantically to contact the police but got no help from the Nainital or Udham Singh Nagar police.

She finally got through to the Rampur Superintendent of Police (SP), who along with his team intercepted the bus and rescued her, the report said.

According to the report, in her complaint the woman said 35 of her co-passengers got off at Haldwani, leaving her alone with five other passengers who began consuming alcohol in the bus.

At about 1:30 am on Sunday, I got a call. The caller appeared scared and talking in whispers. I asked her to text me and she said she was in trouble and surrounded by drunk goons inside a moving bus on the highway from Nainital. She could not tell me her location because of the dark and unfamiliar area. I put the force on alert and asked the woman not to disconnect the call and hide the phone from the goons. We then sealed the borders.

Sanjeev Tyagi, SP, Rampur told TOI.

After search parties were sent out and a frantic hunt for the bus – which was now moving at speed – began, the police finally flagged it down and rescued the woman, the report said.

The drunk passengers of the bus reportedly tried to throw her off the moving bus and make a break for it, but the police managed to rescue her without any physical harm, and caught the bus.

The driver, along with five other men, was arrested.

According to the report, the police have lodged an FIR under sections 354 (assault on woman to outrage her modesty), 307 (attempt to murder), 506 (criminal intimidation), 509 (word or gesture to outrage a woman’s modesty) and 34 (common intent) of the IPC.

Fortunately, the woman had the presence of mind to call the police in time, and a potentially horrifying incident was avoided as the authorities took action immediately.