Nashik highway horror through daughter’s eyes: 15-km chase, SUV smashed, family attacked after mother objected to molestation

The girl claimed that the chase continued for nearly 15km, with the attackers allegedly intercepting the vehicle multiple times.

NASHIK: What began as a family picnic near Bhavali Dam in Maharashtra’s Nashik quickly spiralled into what the victims describe as a terrifying chase for survival.Two days after police arrested nine people for allegedly molesting a woman tourist and attacking her family, the woman complainant’s daughter, has recounted the sequence of events that unfolded after her father confronted two youths accused of harassing her mother.“Two boys harassed my mother. She reprimanded them, and my dad slapped them. After this, they ran off,” she told news agency PTI.The girl claimed that the family believed the confrontation had ended there. Instead, locals at a nearby shack allegedly sided with the youths, telling them they belonged to the village.The family left the spot in their SUV, hoping to avoid further confrontation.Their ordeal, however, was only beginning.As they drove away, a white Maruti Baleno allegedly began pursuing them. The vehicle repeatedly overtook and blocked their path while its occupants smashed the SUV’s windshield and windows, the girl told PTI.The family’s complaint states that another group on motorcycles joined the pursuit, armed with sticks, iron rods and baseball bats.The chase continued for nearly 15km, with the attackers allegedly intercepting the vehicle multiple times.As per a PTI report, the woman alleged that she was dragged out of the SUV, her clothes were torn and she was molested. She further claimed that one of the attackers tried to strike her on the head with a baseball bat, but she managed to evade the blow.The FIR also alleges that the woman’s husband was assaulted when he tried to recover her mobile phone, which had allegedly been snatched. His gold chain was also taken during the attack.

The family said they spotted a police vehicle during the chase and informed personnel about the incident. According to Siddhi, they were asked to proceed to the police station to lodge a complaint.After managing to escape, they reached the police station and handed over videos of the incident, following which a case was registered.Police have since arrested nine accused and identified several others from video footage. The investigation is ongoing.