Nainital Police on Saturday arrested a 39-year-old taxi driver for allegedly trying to rape, assault and rob a 22-year-old tourist from Delhi near Haldwani in Uttarakhand’s Nainital district.
The suspect has been identified as Deepak Singh Bora, a resident of Fatehpur Mukhani in Haldwani. Police said that the mobile phone stolen from Bora was recovered and the taxi used in the crime was also seized.
The woman reached Haldwani by bus from Delhi via Dehradun on March 5, Senior Police Inspector Manjunath TC said. From Haldwani, I traveled to Kathgodam by car and hired a taxi to Nainital around 11 pm.
According to police, at around 1.30 am near Valdiyakhan on Nainital Road, the driver allegedly diverted the car towards the deserted Pattwadanagar Road instead of heading towards Nainital. An officer said: “When the woman protested, the driver stopped the car, misbehaved with her, assaulted her and tried to rape her. He also snatched her mobile phone to prevent her from informing anyone. The woman managed to escape and hide in the forest throughout the night.”
Local women spotted the tourist on the morning of March 6 and informed the police before she was taken to Talital police station, police said.
Later, the police and forensic team examined the scene and collected evidence. The woman received medical treatment in a government hospital.
Based on her complaint, an FIR was registered against an unidentified taxi driver under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the police said.
“Using CCTV footage, the police identified the taxi bearing registration number UK04TB 5500 and tracked it through its GPS. The driver was arrested from Bhowali near Pines on Saturday,” SSP Manjunath said.
“The safety of tourists and the public is a top priority in Nainital. Strict legal action will be taken against those who commit such crimes,” the prosecution said.
