'It was a cat and mouse game for 7km...': Woman shares horrifying experience of being chased on Punjab highway
Harmeen Soch, a teacher by profession, took to social media to narrate her ordeal of being chased by four men in an SUV for a distance of 7 kilometers on National Highway 1.
- May 10, 2024,
- Updated May 10, 2024 10:02 PM IST
A woman in Punjab has come forward to share a harrowing experience, highlighting safety concerns for solo drivers on highways. Harmeen Soch, a teacher by profession, took to social media to narrate her ordeal of being chased by four men in an SUV for a distance of 7 kilometers on National Highway 1.
Soch's social media post, which has since gone viral, included a video she recorded while driving. In the caption, she described the incident as a "cat and mouse game" that unfolded between Dhilwan and Subhanpur on the Punjab highway.
“Cat and mouse game for 7km. Couldn’t get these 4 men in Scorpio off of my back. Either they were tailgating or slowing right ahead inhibiting my drive,” Harmeen said in the caption of her post.
“In between I made a stop at petrol pump to let them move on. They must have halted somewhere on road too as I saw them catch up with me again. Finally I slowed down because speeding up on highway was nerve wrecking,” she added.
The men in the SUV, believed to be occupants of a Scorpio model, first began tailgating Soch's car. They then resorted to dangerous tactics, repeatedly slowing down in front of her vehicle, impeding her ability to drive safely and forcing her to maneuver erratically.
Frightened and desperate to escape, Soch attempted to lose the men by pulling into a petrol pump. However, her pursuers did not relent and caught up to her soon after she re-entered the highway. With nerves frayed and fearing for her safety, Soch eventually slowed down, deeming speeding on the highway too risky.
“With speed now less than 50 kmph on NH1 which limits speed to 100 kmph (as in video), I am thinking whether to call police or keep moving. Thought I’d try speeding up one more time as my slip road was coming up ahead. They sped up again to slow me down and I turned left at the last moment without indicator which resulted in them going on elevated road and I on slip road,” she added.
“As I heaved a sigh of relief, I realised I was shaking in my knees with my heartbeat in my mouth. What is entertainment for a few men can be a trauma for women for many days. Not sure whether men realise that or not. PS: I hadn’t even overtaken this vehicle in the first place that their ego could have been hurt and they began this game,” she said.
Soch's experience has ignited a conversation about women's safety on Indian roads. Many social media users have expressed their outrage at the incident, demanding stricter enforcement of traffic laws and improved police patrolling on highways
"Yes sir I noted the vehicle registration number. Can I lodge complaint after 2 days? I mean will they entertain the delay? I don’t have a dashcam but I am going to get one ASAP. Yes sir I will apply for license. This has been advised by far too many people for me to ignore anymore. Thank you for the encouraging comment 🙏," a user commented. Another one wrote, "Vehicle owner name is Gurdev Singh, registered in Gurdaspur RTO, Registration date 21 feb 2024 Better you file a case and teach them a lesson"
A woman in Punjab has come forward to share a harrowing experience, highlighting safety concerns for solo drivers on highways. Harmeen Soch, a teacher by profession, took to social media to narrate her ordeal of being chased by four men in an SUV for a distance of 7 kilometers on National Highway 1.
Soch's social media post, which has since gone viral, included a video she recorded while driving. In the caption, she described the incident as a "cat and mouse game" that unfolded between Dhilwan and Subhanpur on the Punjab highway.
“Cat and mouse game for 7km. Couldn’t get these 4 men in Scorpio off of my back. Either they were tailgating or slowing right ahead inhibiting my drive,” Harmeen said in the caption of her post.
“In between I made a stop at petrol pump to let them move on. They must have halted somewhere on road too as I saw them catch up with me again. Finally I slowed down because speeding up on highway was nerve wrecking,” she added.
The men in the SUV, believed to be occupants of a Scorpio model, first began tailgating Soch's car. They then resorted to dangerous tactics, repeatedly slowing down in front of her vehicle, impeding her ability to drive safely and forcing her to maneuver erratically.
Frightened and desperate to escape, Soch attempted to lose the men by pulling into a petrol pump. However, her pursuers did not relent and caught up to her soon after she re-entered the highway. With nerves frayed and fearing for her safety, Soch eventually slowed down, deeming speeding on the highway too risky.
“With speed now less than 50 kmph on NH1 which limits speed to 100 kmph (as in video), I am thinking whether to call police or keep moving. Thought I’d try speeding up one more time as my slip road was coming up ahead. They sped up again to slow me down and I turned left at the last moment without indicator which resulted in them going on elevated road and I on slip road,” she added.
“As I heaved a sigh of relief, I realised I was shaking in my knees with my heartbeat in my mouth. What is entertainment for a few men can be a trauma for women for many days. Not sure whether men realise that or not. PS: I hadn’t even overtaken this vehicle in the first place that their ego could have been hurt and they began this game,” she said.
Soch's experience has ignited a conversation about women's safety on Indian roads. Many social media users have expressed their outrage at the incident, demanding stricter enforcement of traffic laws and improved police patrolling on highways
"Yes sir I noted the vehicle registration number. Can I lodge complaint after 2 days? I mean will they entertain the delay? I don’t have a dashcam but I am going to get one ASAP. Yes sir I will apply for license. This has been advised by far too many people for me to ignore anymore. Thank you for the encouraging comment 🙏," a user commented. Another one wrote, "Vehicle owner name is Gurdev Singh, registered in Gurdaspur RTO, Registration date 21 feb 2024 Better you file a case and teach them a lesson"