19-year-old woman raped at knifepoint near toll plaza in Karnal, 2 arrested

A 19-year-old woman from Punjab has alleged she was abducted and raped at an underpass near a toll plaza on a national highway in Haryana's Karnal district, police said on Wednesday.

Based on her complaint, the police arrested the key accused, a roadside vendor who hails from Staundi village in Karnal, and his accomplice, a police official at Madhuban police in Karnal district said.

The married woman, hailing from Ludhiana in Punjab, has alleged that she was abducted by the two men at knifepoint when she went to use the washroom near a toll plaza on the National Highway in Karnal.

The woman stated that she along with her husband were returning from Panipat late on Sunday night and had got off a bus at the toll plaza to meet a relative.

While her husband was having tea at a roadside stall, she went to use the washroom where the two men pointed knives at her and forced her to walk with them.

The prime accused then allegedly raped her by the roadside near Kutail underpass, which is at a short distance from the toll plaza, police said.

Another accused, who hailed from Panipat, helped him in the crime.

Both later fled, the complainant alleged, Madhuban police station SHO, Inspector Tarsem Singh said.

The victim had managed to reach back to her husband and the couple approached the Madhuban police after which an FIR was registered against the accused under the charges of abduction and rape.

Singh said the key accused was arrested on Monday and his accomplice on Tuesday.