Lost mentally ill woman abducted, raped by auto driver in Ludhiana

A 30-year-old woman, suffering from mental illness, was allegedly raped by a three-wheeler driver after she lost her way back home on November 23, police said on Saturday.

The accused dropped the woman near Jalandhar Bypass a day later and fled. With the help of a Good Samaritan, the woman managed to contact her family and returned home, following which they informed the police on Saturday.

The woman’s brother told the police that his sister had married a Daresi Road resident 10 years ago and had a nine-year-old son.

He alleged that her sister was a victim of domestic violence and the abuse had led to mental illness.

She underwent treatment for it and after regaining fitness, returned to her husband’s house in October 2018. However, he sent her back in October 2019 and she resumed her psychiatric treatment.

On November 23, his sister lost her way while returning home from a shrine. The next day, they got a phone call that she was in Ganna village, Phillaur, 20km away from Ludhiana.

While her family got her back home to safety the same day, it was only on Friday that she revealed that on losing her way, she had reached near Chand Cinema. There, a three-wheeler driver made her sit in his vehicle, offering to drop her home. But he took her to a room and raped her. On November 24, the accused dropped her near Jalandhar Bypass and drove away.

“An FIR under Section 376 (rape) of the Indian Penal Code has been lodged against the auto driver at the Division Number 4 police station. We are scanning CCTV cameras to trace the accused,” said sub-inspector Manju Bala, who is investigating the case.