The mother of a 23-year-old woman who was stabbed 13 times in her face, thighs, and hands by an alleged "stalker" in South Delhi is demanding strict legal action against the accused, news agency PTI reported on Friday (October 13). The heinous assault occurred in a cab in the city's Lado Sarai district on Thursday morning, as the young woman prepared to begin her commute to work.
The accused, 27-year-old Gaurav Pal, was apprehended at the scene by the vigilant cab driver, with the assistance of others, and subsequently handed over to the police. Pal faces charges under section 307 (attempted murder) of the Indian Penal Code, as stated by the police.
"Although the police have apprehended the accused, we insist that stringent measures be taken against him," asserted the victim's mother during a phone conversation with PTI.
Medical professionals tending to the woman disclosed that she had sustained 13 stab wounds across her face, thighs, and hands during the attack. While her condition is stable, she remains under medical care.
"I attempted to speak with my daughter today, but her facial swelling rendered her unable to communicate. The doctors informed me that she should be discharged from the hospital in a few days, but I earnestly request the medical team to ensure her complete recovery before her release," she further told PTI.
"At the moment, she is on a liquid diet and has suffered significant blood loss as a result of the injuries," she explained.
The victim had previously been in a relationship with the accused but had chosen to distance herself from him, according to an official police statement, as stated in the report.
The incident, reported at 6:20 AM on Thursday, was brought to the police's attention via a PCR call from Lado Sarai, Firni Road, where the victim, a resident of Lado Sarai, was discovered.
The victim's mother claimed that the accused had stalked her daughter for the past two years, even after she had blocked him, According to the report, she explained that her daughter had booked a cab to Lajpat Nagar for an interview. The accused had been loitering near their home, and after her daughter left, he began pursuing her, insisting on speaking with her.
The accused followed the driver into the cab, locked the doors from within, and then launched a vicious knife attack concealed in his pocket, according to the PTI report.
The mother maintained that Pal had persistently pressed her daughter for marriage over the past two years, despite her consistent refusal.
This incident is similar to the one that occurred in May when a 16-year-old girl was stabbed more than 20 times and brutally murdered by a young man in the Shahbad Dairy area of northwest Delhi. Sahil (20), the accused, was later apprehended in Bulandshahr, Uttar Pradesh.