Many internet users asked her to lodge an official complaint with the police.
In a harrowing incident, a woman from Punjab has recounted how she was chased by four men in an SUV on National Highway 1. Harmeen Soch, a teacher by profession, was driving between Dhilwan and Subhanpur on the Punjab highway when the incident occurred. In a tweet on X, Ms Soch described the ordeal as a ”cat and mouse game”, and wrote how four men in a Scorpio chased her for 7 kilometres on on National Highway 1. In between the chase, she stopped at a petrol pump to let the men get ahead of her. However, the men allegedly halted somewhere on the road too, because she saw them catch up with her again.
Sharing a video of the car in front of her vehicle, she wrote, ”Cat and mouse game for 7km. Couldn’t get these 4 men in Scorpio off of my back. Either they were tailgating or slowing right ahead inhibiting my drive. In between I made a stop at the petrol pump to let them move on. They must have halted somewhere on the road too as I saw them catch up with me again.”
Ms Soch then shared how she managed to outwit them and escape. ”Finally, I slowed down because speeding up on the highway was nerve-wracking. With speed now less than 50 kmph on NH1 which limits speed to 100 kmph (as in the video), I am thinking about whether to call the police or keep moving. Thought I’d try speeding up one more time as my slip road was coming up ahead. They sped up again to slow me down and I turned left at the last moment without indicator which resulted in them going on the elevated road and I on the slip road,” she wrote further.
Watch the video here:
Cat and mouse game for 7km. Couldn’t get these 4 men in Scorpio off of my back. Either they were tailgating or slowing right ahead inhibiting my drive. In between I made a stop at petrol pump to let them move on. They must have halted somewhere on road too as I saw them catch up… pic.twitter.com/GKsIVNztih
— Harmeen Soch (@HarmeenSoch) May 9, 2024
”As I heaved a sigh of relief I realized I was shaking in my knees with my heartbeat in my mouth. What is entertainment for a few men can be a trauma for women for many days. Not sure whether men realize that or not,” she added.
She also noted that there was nothing she did that might have instigated the four men.
The video which has gone viral on social media, has yet again ignited a conversation about women’s safety on Indian roads. Many internet users asked her to lodge an official complaint with the police.
One user wrote, ”Hope you noted the Veh Regn No? Pls lodge a FIR re harassment & endangering safety at your nearest Police Station. Better still if you have dash cam att footage as evidence. If not already done get a good quality dash cam installed in the car. Lastly get a Licenced Pers wpn.”
Another commented, ”Must have been harrowing… Unfortunately with our desi ego mindset these incidents are normalised. Highway Patrols are nowhere to be found. An DDR afterwards is futile; nothing happens.”
A third added, ”Not sure about the social media support but stopping the car in a side, without opening the door, starting a FB/Insta live and sharing your ordeal with netizens would have probably alerted the authorities!”