Delhi woman hides in Uttarakhand forest overnight to escape rape attempt by taxi driver

Delhi woman escapes a rape attempt by a taxi driver, hiding overnight in a Uttarakhand forest before seeking help.

A solo trip turned into a night of terror for a woman from Delhi who spent the entire night hiding in a forest in Uttarakhand, injured and with no mobile phone, to escape an allegedly rape attempt by her taxi driver.

On Thursday (March 5, 2026), the 31-year-old woman arrived in Kathgodam from Delhi via Dehradun and hired a taxi for Nainital. On the way, around 1.30 a.m., the taxi driver diverted the vehicle towards a deserted road in Patwa Dangar near the lake city, police said.

When the woman objected, the driver stopped the vehicle and began abusing and assaulting her, the police said, adding that he also snatched her mobile phone and attempted to rape her.

To save herself, the woman ran towards the woods and hid in the forest overnight. She somehow managed to reach Patwa Dangar village on Friday (March 6) morning, and with the help of locals, filed a police report.

The police immediately swung into action. They collected evidence and sent the woman for a medical examination of the victim, the police said.

Based on the woman's complaint, a case under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections pertaining to punishment for rape, robbery and abduction was registered, they said.