Bhubaneswar: In a dramatic three-hour rescue operation on Sunday evening, Odisha Police tracked down and rescued a young woman stranded deep inside Ratanpur Reserve Forest near Pitapalli, on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar.
The massive search mission was launched after the woman managed to flee into the woods to escape an attempted rape by a motorcyclist from whom she had accepted a lift.
According to police, the harrowing incident began when the victim requested a ride from the Khurda bus stand. The motorcycle rider, identified as Sunil Patra, picked her up with malicious intent and suddenly diverted his route toward the dense reserve forest area. Once inside the secluded location, the accused attempted to sexually assault her. Showing immense courage, the woman vigorously resisted, fought back, and managed to break free from his clutches. She ran blindly into the thick foliage to hide, but consequently lost her bearings in the sprawling jungle.
Terrified and disoriented, she contacted the police for help. An extensive search operation was immediately launched, involving more than 50 personnel from multiple stations—including Infovalley, Jatani, Khandagiri, and Bharatpur—led by the ACP of Zone-3, along with local residents.
The rescue operation faced a gruelling race against time. The victim’s phone battery was rapidly depleting with only 10% remaining, and her phone’s GPS location services were disabled by default, making precise digital tracking impossible.
To counter this, multiple ground teams systematically combed the dense undergrowth, while aerial drones were deployed to monitor the terrain. The rescue teams repeatedly fired flare guns and set off rocket fireworks into the night sky, allowing her to gauge the police’s proximity and direction.
The strategy paid off and the woman was successfully traced and rescued. She was found physically unharmed but traumatized by the ordeal.
Initially reluctant to file a complaint, the victim was counselled by police officers and eventually agreed to register an FIR so that the perpetrator could be held accountable and prevented from repeating such crimes. Following the registration of the FIR under appropriate sections related to the attempt to rape, the Infovalley Police quickly apprehended the accused and seized the motorcycle used in the crime.