Kolkata: A 28-year-old woman was allegedly assaulted during an attempt to forcefully abduct her by a group of assailants in the heart of the city's Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Road area of Taltala during the early hours of Sunday. The police have launched a massive manhunt to trace the suspects involved in the mid-road outrage.
The New Market Police Station has registered a formal criminal case based on the signed statement of the complainant, a resident of the Tiljala area, but a permanent resident of Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir. The case has been registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) pertaining to wrongful restraint, physical assault, and criminal use of force with intent to outrage modesty, attempt to abduct for secret confinement, and criminal intimidation.
“Though the FIR mentions some strong charges, we need to ascertain the exact sequence of events based on evidence. We have collected CCTV footage in this regard,” said an officer.
Sequence of Events
According to the police complaint, the incident took place around 3.05 am on June 14 near 20, Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Road in the New Market police jurisdiction. The complainant was commuting back home after work when a white four-wheeled luxury vehicle intercepted her on the deserted stretch. Multiple occupants, including a woman and a man, allegedly disembarked from the vehicle and immediately began misbehaving, intimidating, and harassing her on the street.
They cornered the woman, forcefully pushing and pinning her against a wall. The assailants then resorted to physical violence, raining fists and blows upon her, using highly offensive language to insult her modesty, and tearing her clothes.
Escalation and Rescue
The situation reportedly escalated when the attackers grabbed the woman by force and attempted to drag her toward their waiting vehicle. According to her statement, they had already managed to lift her with one foot on the vehicle's doorstep in a bid to abduct and secretly confine her.
The victim's ordeal came to an end when a worker from a nearby petrol pump noticed the commotion, prompting him to raise an alarm. As local residents rushed to the spot hearing the cries for help, the attackers panicked, boarded their vehicle, and fled the scene.
Medical Treatment and Investigation
The victim was subsequently taken to a local hospital, where she received medical treatment for injuries sustained during the assault. Cops said they are also identifying the registration plate of the white vehicle and tracking down the absconding suspects.
