Woman abducted from petrol pump rescued; two arrested

Police said that the family alleged that the 22-year-old man, who is the prime suspect in the case, was stalking her and even reached her home on Diwali, threatening her while brandishing a gun

Updated on: Nov 21, 2023, 09:36:19 IST

By Shruti Tomar, Bhopal/Gwalior

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A 19-year-old woman was abducted in broad daylight by two motorcycle-borne men from a petrol pump in Madhya Pradesh’s Gwalior on Monday, police said, adding that she was rescued and the accused were subsequently arrested from Guna later in the day.

The abduction, which was captured on CCTV cameras, took place in the Jhansi Road area around 9.30am (Agencies)

The abduction, which was captured on CCTV cameras, took place in the Jhansi Road area around 9.30am, shortly after the woman, a resident of Bhind district, arrived in the city with her family members. The woman’s family alleged that a 22-year-old man from the woman’s village used to harass her and a case has already been registered, a senior police officer said.

“She was standing at the petrol pump at Jhansi Road Naka in Chandravadni when two men came on a black bike. One of them remained with the motorcycle, while the other forcefully made her sit on the bike and fled,” Gwalior senior superintendent of police (SSP) Rajesh Singh Chandel said. “A case has been registered on the complaint of her kin and efforts are on to trace her.”

“She came to Bhind with her family to attend an event. All of them got down at the petrol pump around 9.30am,” the SSP said.

“The incident occurred when the woman went to a water cooler at the petrol pump while her kin were talking to each other.”

Police said that the family alleged that the 22-year-old man, who is the prime suspect in the case, was stalking her and even reached her home on Diwali, threatening her while brandishing a gun. “He tried to molest her. When she protested, he beat her and ran away while waving a pistol. A complaint in this regard has been lodged at the Lahar police station, but the police did not act on it,” the woman’s uncle alleged.

Bhind SP Asit Yadav, however, said: “The family filed a complaint that the youth entered the house to steal money. They did not mention harassment and stalking.”

Later in the day, Gwalior ASP Rishikesh Meena said they have arrested the main accused, Rohit Kushwaha, and his accomplice.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shruti Tomar
I have spent over a decade chronicling Madhya Pradesh’s political and social landscape, covering politics, investigative journalism, crime, human interest, and government policy, blending sharp insight with ground‑level depth. I have closely tracked three assembly elections, three Lok Sabha elections, leadership transitions in MP while exposing governance lapses, tender irregularities, and flawed policy rollouts. My reports have revealed gaps in the Cheetah project, irregularities in medical education, rigging in recruitment exams, and loopholes in policy implementation. In crime reporting, I have moved beyond FIRs to map systemic patterns — from organised crime networks and gender‑based violence to custodial accountability — balancing urgency with sensitivity. My journalism is defined by a commitment to human interest. I have profiled the marginalised Bancchda community, documented atrocities against tribal groups, and highlighted efforts to preserve their culture through heritage liquor and revival of spiritual practices. I have reported on farmers struggling with failed MSP promises, giving voice to those often reduced to statistics in policy files. Passionate about field reporting, I have reported on rampant sand mining in Chambal and Narmada, pharmaceutical companies supplying medicines under altered names, the dire condition of schools and colleges, the plight of commercial sex workers, and skewed sex ratios in specific districts. Beyond deadlines, and as HT’s state correspondent and assistant editor in Madhya Pradesh, I engage with ministers, farmers, students, and activists, believing the best policy stories begin with a single human voice. A postgraduate in Journalism and Mass Communication, I also hold a diploma in sports journalism.Read More

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