Chandigarh, Aug. 6: Police in Haryana's Hisar town were accused of ignoring a complaint about a woman's possible abduction in a car hours after their Chandigarh colleagues were publicly thanked by a woman for responding promptly to her distress call during an alleged stalking-cum-kidnapping attempt.
Umesh Sharma, a trader in his 40s, today told The Telegraph he had heard a woman's cries through the open window of an Alto while driving over the Dabra flyover in Hisar, 242km from Chandigarh, around 5pm yesterday.
He said he had pulled up alongside the Alto and peered in to see three young men and a woman, who was screaming that she was being kidnapped.
"I honked and asked why she was screaming. The man seated beside the driver pointed to the word 'police' inscribed on the rear windshield. The Alto then accelerated and vanished," Sharma said. "The men were in plainclothes."
Sharma said a policeman on traffic duty near the flyover refused to hear his complaint.
"I called the police control room several times but there was no response. Then I decided to go to the Civil Lines police station and file a complaint," he said.
Sharma said he gave the police the number of the Alto. The police lodged a general diary but appear not to have taken any action so far.
"We have noted what the man had to say. There was nothing much to go on in this case," a senior police officer in Hisar told this newspaper on the condition of anonymity.
"There is no missing persons complaint with us matching the description given by the man."
The officer evaded the question whether the police had investigated the car number Sharma had given them. Calls to the mobile number of Hisar superintendent of police Manisha Chaudhary were not answered.
Chandigarh police had promptly intercepted and arrested Haryana BJP chief Subhash Barala's son Vikas and a friend after receiving an emergency call from a young woman driver at Friday midnight saying two men were stalking her in a car.
In a Facebook post yesterday afternoon that described her ordeal, she thanked the Chandigarh police profusely "for unparalleled efficiency and attention to a distress call from me", saying they "almost restore my faith in the system".
Allegations that weak charges had been invoked today prompted Rahul Gandhi's office to tweet: "Condemn attempt to kidnap & outrage modesty of young lady in Chdgrh. BJP Govt mst punish the guilty; not collude W/culprits & mindset they represent."
CPM leader Sitaram Yechury tweeted: "Clearly someone is helping the accused here. Why are the PM and BJP President so silent about stalking of women?"
Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari said the Chandigarh police had already succumbed to political pressure and diluted the case.
"The police facilitated Vikas Barala's bail and did not apply non-bailable sections, though the victim had clearly stated that an attempt was made to kidnap her," he said.
Haryana Congress chief Ashok Tanwar tweeted: "The BJP runs anti-Romeo squad in Uttar Pradesh and its leaders turn Romeo to chase girls on the streets of Haryana."
Lucky not raped and lying in a ditch
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WAS ALMOST KIDNAPPED ON A CHANDIGARH ROAD LAST NIGHT.
That being said, I'd like to take a moment to commend and thank Chandigarh Police for unparalleled efficiency and attention to a distress call from me. They almost restore my faith in the system.
Here's what went down:
I was driving home from the Sector 8 market at about 12:15am, and crossed the road into Sec-7, where the petrol pump is. I was also on the phone with a friend at the time, and realised about a minute later that a car was following me.
It was a White SUV, and as I noticed it, it pulled up and started driving alongside my car. I was now in Sec-7, heading towards the lights next to St. Johns' in 26.
There were 2 guys inside the SUV, and they seemed to really be enjoying harassing a lone girl in the middle of the night, judging by how often their car swerved, just enough to scare me that it might hit me.
By now I was totally alert and mildly panic-y, so I decided to turn right from the St. Johns' traffic lights towards Madhya Marg (a more crowded, seemingly safer road).
I tried to turn right from the lights but the SUV blocked my way, forcing me to go straight into Sec-26.
At the next turn, I tried to turn again, but this time they went a step further.
Right at the turn, they blocked the road in front of my car, and the guy in the passenger seat got out of the car and started walking towards me. I reversed as fast as I could and went straight and took the next right turn before they could catch up again.
I used this time to also call the cops at 100, and explain to them the situation and my exact location and where I was headed.
The cop who answered my call, intuitively sensed the urgency in my voice, and promised me that help would be along very soon.
I hung up and had now reached the main road, and hadn't seen the SUV for about 15 seconds, so I hoped, that they'd seen me calling the cops and disappeared. I was wrong.
I was now on a straight road for about 5-6km (Madhya Marg), and that entire time, the SUV stayed alongside my car, trying to bully me into stopping every 10-15 seconds LITERALLY.
I was in a full-blown panic attack by now because they would keep trying to corner me, and I'd somehow manoeuvre my way out and keep moving.
My hands shaking, my back spasming from fear, half in tears, half bewildered, because I didn't know if I'd make it home tonight.
Who knew when, or if, the cops would show up.
These guys INCESSANTLY bullied me all the way to Solitaire (end of 6kms), and at the traffic lights, blocked my car for the final time. This time they meant business, because they left me absolutely no space to move or escape, and the passenger JUMPED out of the car and moved towards mine.
I don't know how, but I reversed my car and moved to the right where there was space, all this while constantly honking so the few vehicles around would know something was wrong.
At this point, the guy had reached my car, banged loudly on my window, AND TRIED TO OPEN THE DOOR HANDLE!
Just as he did this, I saw a PCR pull up at the lights, quite possibly in response to my call. They heard me honking, and saw the SUV swerving left and right in an attempt to block me, and a couple of cops ran out towards the SUV, nabbing it just in time, because they were blocked in by traffic.
I, still shaking from fear, drove straight home, and told... (father) what happened, getting him back with me to file the complaint.
The 2 boys, who of course, are from influential families with political connections, have been arrested and the complaint has been filed.
At the risk of sounding redundant, I need to mention and thank Chd (Chandigarh) Police again because had it not been for their timely response, I might not be writing this status today.
If this is what women deal with in one of the safer cities in the country, where are we going?
I find it shocking, that in a place with cameras at every light and cops every 200 metres, these boys thought they could either get into my car, or take me into theirs, just because they're from an influential background.
I'm lucky, it seems, to not be the daughter of a common man, because what chance would they have against such VIPs?
I'm also lucky, because I'm not lying raped and murdered in a ditch somewhere.
If this can happen in Chd, it can happen anywhere.
LADIES! Please be proactive about your own safety;
NOTE THE NUMBER OF ANY VEHICLE THAT TRIES TO HARASS YOU.
DON'T BE AFRAID to call the cops, The minute it starts!
Call your parents, if possible, and let them know where you are and the situation you're in.
Try and run away, in the safest way possible.
YOUR LIFE IS PARAMOUNT! If he walks towards you, use whatever you can as a weapon.
I was never a big fan of weapons, till last night.
Whether it's a gun or mace or taser or a golf club or a knife, it's going to make you feel safer and more confident.
STAY SAFE, LADIES! |
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