Bhubaneswar: Odisha police on Friday started an inquiry into an alleged stalking of a British woman by a cyclist on a deserted stretch of Bhadrak district on Wednesday. The woman, a travel vlogger, posted video evidence of the purported harassment on social media, sparking outrage over women’s safety in public spaces.“On a run in rural India, I got stalked by a guy on a bike, then trapped in an abandoned area. I probably only escaped because I called a friend and made it obvious the guy was on video … I’m probably going to leave,” she wrote in her post.She was jogging when she noticed the man tailing her on a cycle through an isolated stretch. Though shaken, she confronted him, switched on her phone camera, and connected with a friend over video call. In the footage, she can be heard saying: “Not a great start in this town. That guy is following me. This guy is making me so nervous.”She is also heard telling the man directly: “Go away, leave me alone.”Police said no formal complaint has been filed in this connection. “We are trying to ascertain the sequence of events and reach out to her for details. CCTV footage is being examined to identify the cyclist,” a senior police officer said.The incident comes close on the heels of the latest NCRB report, which revealed Odisha topped the country in cases of sexual harassment in public places and pathways in 2024. The state recorded 549 such incidents, followed by Uttar Pradesh with 198.
