Cops to contact Iranian embassy in knife attack case in Gurugram; suspect held

A day after a foreigner woman allegedly stabbed a taxi driver at Rajiv Chowk in the city, she was sent to judicial custody for 14 days on Wednesday evening, said police. The motive behind the attack on a busy stretch in broad daylight is still unknown, police added.

Police said the woman was identified as Rihaan alias Noori from Egypt. She did not cooperate with the Egyptian embassy officials who met her on Wednesday to find out more about her. Police said that they were also in touch with Iranian embassy to ascertain her exact identity and they were yet to rule out her involvement in other criminal activities.

Police said she was on one-day remand for interrogation after her arrest on Tuesday, but did not cooperate even for a moment nor was she able to produce any valid travel documents.

“She claims to be an Egyptian national but didn’t cooperate with her embassy officials. The embassy authorities could also not do much without knowing her correct name or passport details. She didn’t even cooperate with the police,” said a senior police official. He further said that details such as when she entered India or where she was residing before her arrest were still not clear or verified.

The woman, clad in a burqa, allegedly walked up to the cab driver sitting in his car and stabbed him with a knife. She was chased and caught by a police patrol team but remained agitated and demanded to speak with the Egyptian ambassador.

Gurugram police PRO Subhash Boken said, “We are also in touch with the Iranian embassy to ascertain her identity,” he said.

They said Section 177 (furnishing false information) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC); and sections 3 (powers to make orders for prohibiting, regulating or restricting the entry of foreigners into India and their departure therefrom or their presence or continued presence therein), and 14 A (penalty for entry in restricted areas), B (penalty for using forged passport) and C (penalty for abetment) of The Foreigners Act, 1946, were invoked in the FIR registered against her with the Civil Lines police station on the basis of the injured taxi driver Raghu Raj’s complaint, as she had not produced her passport and visa.

Police said initially only sections 323 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt) and 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means) of the IPC were invoked against her in the FIR that was registered on Tuesday.