Lucknow: Two women police recruitment aspirants fought off an alleged rape attempt by an autorickshaw driver who diverted them to a deserted stretch instead of their destination in the early hours of Monday, police said.The incident took place on June 8 when the two women, aged 19 and 20 and residents of Lakhimpur Kheri, arrived in Lucknow to travel to Raebareli for the ongoing UP Police constable recruitment examination.According to police, the duo had stayed overnight at a relative’s house in the Madiaon area and hired an autorickshaw near Charbagh to reach the Alambagh bus terminal.However, instead of taking the designated route, the driver allegedly diverted the vehicle towards a deserted stretch near Ramlila Ground in Para.Police said the accused then attempted to sexually assault the women. When they resisted, he allegedly assaulted them and tore their clothes.The women, however, fought back, with one of them reportedly pushing the driver while the other bit his finger and raised an alarm.Hearing their cries, a passerby rushed to the spot, prompting the driver to flee. The bystander alerted police, who reached the scene and assisted the victims.Officials said the women sustained minor injuries during the onslaught. After initial assistance, police helped them proceed to Raebareli so they could appear for their examination without further delay.The incident comes within 48 hours of a similar case involving an autorickshaw driver accused of molesting a 55-year-old woman after taking her to an isolated area, raising concerns over a pattern of such crimes.Police later arrested the accused driver after an encounter in the wee hours of June 9.The accused, identified as Haseeb (24), is a native of Mirzapur village in Hardoi’s Kachhauna area and had been residing near Haider Canal in Para.Police said the accused is a habitual offender. Records show he was earlier booked in 2024 at Sandila police station in Hardoi district in a rape case involving a woman whom he had allegedly taken to a deserted location in his auto-rickshaw before sexually assaulting her. He had subsequently served a jail term in that case.
