Gurgaon Woman Abducted from Aravali Picnic Spot in Midnight Ordeal
A chilling abduction unfolded in the early hours of Sunday in Gurgaon, sending shockwaves through the city. A 23-year-old woman was forcibly taken from Leopard Trail, a popular picnic spot nestled in the Aravali hills, by a 25-year-old food vendor identified as Gaurav Bhati.
The Terrifying Sequence of Events
The incident began around 3 am when the woman and her employer were enjoying a late-night stroll along a narrow, winding road in the forested area. As they neared their parked vehicle, a youth approached them. In a sudden move, the man snatched the woman's mobile phone and dashed towards the hills, effectively cutting off her immediate means of calling for help.
When the victim attempted to chase the perpetrator to retrieve her phone, the accused allegedly overpowered her. Despite her colleague's desperate attempts to intervene, Bhati dragged the woman into a borrowed Mahindra Scorpio, locked the doors, and sped away into the darkness.
Swift Police Response and Dramatic Chase
The employer immediately alerted the police, providing crucial details about the SUV, including its registration number and physical description. This information proved vital as multiple police teams were mobilized to track the vehicle.
Bhati drove the abducted woman through the forested terrain and various parts of the city, taking seemingly random directions in an attempt to evade capture. The tense pursuit lasted approximately an hour, with police teams closely trailing the Scorpio while simultaneously tracking the victim's phone location.
Muddy Terrain Leads to Rescue and Arrest
The dramatic chase came to an abrupt end when the SUV got stuck in mud at Pandala village. As the vehicle's tires sank into the soft earth, the victim seized the opportunity to scream for help, prompting Bhati to abandon the vehicle and flee on foot.
Police teams quickly reached the scene and rescued the woman unharmed near the stalled vehicle. Using the registration details from the Scorpio, authorities traced the owner, who revealed that Bhati had borrowed the car under the pretext of purchasing liquor.
Investigation Reveals Intoxication and Additional Charges
Three separate police teams worked in coordination to trace Bhati, leading to his arrest within hours of the incident. Investigations revealed that the accused was intoxicated at the time of the crime, a fact later confirmed through medical examination.
During a subsequent crime scene recreation in the hills, Bhati attempted to escape custody but tripped on the rugged terrain, sustaining a fractured right leg and facial injuries. He was hospitalized under police supervision before being produced before a local court, which remanded him in judicial custody.
Legal Proceedings and Forensic Analysis
The First Information Report was initially registered under BNS sections 137(2) for kidnapping and 304(2) for snatching. However, police have indicated they await the woman's magisterial statement before potentially adding sexual assault charges. The charges were later updated to include custodial escape and obstructing a public servant in the discharge of official duties.
A forensic team has collected evidence from the scene, and location data is being meticulously analyzed to reconstruct the complete sequence of events. The borrowed Scorpio's owner, another food vendor, confirmed lending the vehicle to Bhati based on his liquor purchase story.
This incident has raised concerns about safety in popular recreational areas, particularly during late hours, and highlights the importance of vigilance in isolated locations.
