A 42-year-old woman from Uttar Pradesh was allegedly gangraped in the early hours of January 12 at a deserted roadside dhaba in Bahadurgarh, Haryana, after five men reportedly followed her from a bus she had taken while searching for work in the National Capital Region.
The assault occurred around 2.30 am near Pandit Shree Ram Sharma metro station on the Delhi Metro’s Green Line, a relatively busy transit point that falls quiet at night. Acting swiftly, the Jhajjar police formed multiple teams and arrested four of the five accused within eight hours of the crime, while one suspect continues to evade arrest.
Investigators relied heavily on CCTV footage recovered from the dhaba and surrounding areas, as well as a digital UPI payment trail linked to the suspects, to piece together the sequence of events. The survivor has undergone medical examination, her detailed statement has been recorded before a magistrate, and an FIR has been registered at the City police station in Bahadurgarh.
Police officials have reiterated their commitment to ensuring justice for the survivor and maintaining women’s safety, even as the case highlights persistent vulnerabilities in public spaces during late hours.
Swift Police Action, Crucial Digital Evidence Break the Case
According to Jhajjar Police Commissioner Rajshree Singh, the woman had travelled to Bahadurgarh with her uncle from Uttar Pradesh to explore employment opportunities and had alighted from a bus at the Pandit Shree Ram Sharma metro station around 2 am.
Her cousin had come to pick them up when they noticed that five men appeared to be following them. In her statement, the woman alleged that by around 2.30 am, the men separated her from her uncle and cousin, threatened and intimidated them, and forcibly took her to a deserted dhaba located approximately 100 metres from the metro station on Delhi–Rohtak Road.
There, she was allegedly sexually assaulted. “The woman’s medical examination was conducted and her statement was recorded as per due process. Four accused have been arrested, and strict action will be taken against everyone involved in crimes against women,” Commissioner Singh said, adding that no offender would be spared.
Police officials stated that the swift arrests were possible due to coordinated efforts by local police stations and Crime Investigation Agency (CIA) teams, who worked through the night to trace leads and identify suspects.
From Silence to Formal Complaint
Investigators revealed that when the survivor first approached the police with her family, she initially stated that the accused had stolen some of her belongings and insisted that nothing else had happened. Officers noted that such hesitation is not uncommon in cases of sexual violence, often driven by fear, trauma, stigma, or concern for family honour.
However, the course of the investigation changed after police recovered the digital video recorder (DVR) of a CCTV camera installed at the dhaba. The footage reportedly captured the assault, prompting officers to revisit the woman’s account. Following this, she agreed to provide a detailed statement, and her uncle subsequently filed a formal complaint.
Police also traced a crucial lead to a liquor shop near the dhaba, where the accused allegedly purchased alcohol shortly before the assault. While part of the payment was made in cash, the remaining amount Rs 30 was transferred digitally through UPI.
“Tracing the Paytm account linked to this transaction allowed us to identify the suspects and reconstruct their movements before and after the crime,” a senior officer involved in the probe said. CCTV footage from nearby establishments, call detail records, social media analysis, and inputs from local intelligence networks were further analysed to narrow down the accused.
Within eight hours, four men residents of Bahadurgarh, originally from Bihar and living in rented accommodation in the Chhotu Ramnagar area were arrested. Police have not disclosed their identities, citing the pending test identification parade. The accused were produced before a Bahadurgarh court and remanded to police custody for further interrogation, while efforts continue to identify and apprehend the fifth suspect.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
This deeply disturbing incident once again underscores the precarious reality of women’s safety in public spaces, particularly during late hours, even in areas that are otherwise well-connected and monitored. While the police response in this case marked by swift arrests and effective use of technology such as CCTV footage and digital payment trails demonstrates the potential of modern investigative tools, it also raises urgent questions about prevention.
Technology and policing, while essential, cannot be the sole safeguards against gender-based violence. A society committed to peace, empathy, and coexistence must also confront the cultural attitudes, power imbalances, and silence that allow such crimes to occur and go underreported. Survivors need not only justice but compassion, support, and an environment that encourages them to speak without fear or shame.
