Nainital Police on Saturday arrested a taxi driver accused of assault, robbery and attempted rape of a 22-year-old female passenger from Delhi near Haldwani in Nainital, police said.
The accused has been identified as Deepak Singh Bora, 39, a resident of Fatehpur Mukhani in Haldwani. Track updates on the US conflict with Iran
The woman reached Haldwani by bus from Delhi via Dehradun on March 5, and from there she traveled to Kathgodam by car and hired a taxi to Nainital around 11 pm, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Manjunath TC said.
According to police, at around 1.30 am, near Baldiyakhan on Nainital Road, the driver allegedly diverted the car onto a deserted road in Pattwadhangar instead of heading to Nainital. When the woman protested, the driver stopped the car, allegedly misbehaved, assaulted her and tried to rape her, the officer said, adding that the accused also snatched her mobile phone to prevent her from alerting anyone. However, the woman managed to escape and hide in the forest throughout the night, and local women spotted her on March 6, informed the police and took her to the Takatal police station, the Supreme State Security Prosecutor said.
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Police and forensic teams examined the scene of the accident. Based on her complaint, an FIR was registered against the unidentified taxi driver under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the officer said.
“Using CCTV footage, the police identified the taxi and tracked it. The driver was arrested in Bhowali,” he added.
“The safety of tourists and the public is the top priority of Nainital Police. Strict action will be taken against those who commit such crimes,” Nainital Police said.
