Class 12 girl locked inside car during Gurgaon road rage, police reach after 40 minutes

GURGAON: A Class 12 student — trapped alone inside a locked car on Sohna Road as cab drivers surrounded it, banged on the doors and assaulted her driver outside — kept calling for help while her mother dialled police repeatedly from home. Between them, they made more than 20 frantic calls. But police, they alleged, reached only around 40 minutes later.The incident took place on Thursday evening near Park View City-2 in Sector 49, when the teenager was returning home after an examination. She had just dropped a friend and was travelling with driver Bhoori Singh when a cab suddenly cut in front of their vehicle.As Singh tried to avoid it, the car brushed against the cab, causing a minor collision. Within minutes, the situation spiralled. The cab driver stopped in the middle of the road and called five to six other cabbies from nearby areas.The men then surrounded the car, choking traffic on the busy stretch. Singh was allegedly dragged out and thrashed, while the teenager remained inside. The cabbies also tried repeatedly to force open the doors. Frightened, she locked herself in and video-called her mother, Neha.According to the family, the girl first called the emergency helpline at 5.02pm, telling police she was trapped inside a car and surrounded by aggressive men. At 5.10pm, police personnel called back to confirm the location. But the PCR team, the family alleged, reached only at 5.39pm.Neha later questioned city police’s claim that distress calls are attended to within seven to eight minutes. “If a child can be surrounded in broad daylight on a busy area like Sohna Road and police take 37 minutes to arrive despite repeated calls, how can anyone feel safe?” she sought to know.According to Neha, by the time she reached the spot with an acquaintance, the confrontation was still continuing in the presence of police. The matter was eventually settled after Rs 2,500 was paid to the driver of the cab that suffered minor damage.Police spokesperson Sandeep Kumar said the delay in response would be examined. “We will check why it took so long for police to reach the spot. Action will be taken against the police team if evidence shows negligence,” he added.