Women chased, car vandalised on Ranchi-Tata Highway
Pioneer News Service
Jamshedpur
A road trip from Jamshedpur to Hazaribagh turned into a terrifying ordeal for three women on Tuesday after two youths allegedly chased their car, blocked its path and vandalised the vehicle near Dassam Fall on the Ranchi-Tata Highway, injuring the driver and triggering concerns over women’s safety and highway policing.
A video of the incident, now circulating on social media, purportedly shows the accused threatening the occupants, attempting to force open the car doors and pelting stones at the vehicle. The attackers allegedly fled after local residents gathered at the spot.
According to the victims, who requested anonymity, they had left Jamshedpur on Tuesday morning with a sister, a friend and their driver, Ranveer Singh. After stopping for breakfast in Bundu and visiting Surya Mandir, their car was allegedly hit by a speeding Scorpio SUV near Dassam Fall around 12.27 pm. They claimed the collision occurred due to the SUV driver’s negligence.
The women alleged that the two occupants of the Scorpio became aggressive after the accident. Fearing for their safety, they drove away, but the SUV allegedly chased them, repeatedly overtook their vehicle and eventually blocked their path. Despite attempts to escape, including briefly reversing and driving in the opposite direction, the accused allegedly tried to force open the driver’s door and pelted stones at the car, shattering the driver’s side window. Singh sustained injuries from the broken glass.
The victims said they called the police emergency helpline at about 12.33 pm, but officers reached the spot around 12.58 pm, by which time the accused had fled.
Police later identified and seized the Scorpio and summoned the two accused, Rajkumar Mahato and Shoaib Raza, for questioning.
The incident has also raised questions over highway patrolling and emergency response. The women claimed no patrol vehicle was present on the stretch during the incident, while police attributed the response delay to the interior location of the spot.
