Gorakhpur, May 18 (IANS): A stalker in this Uttar Pradesh city stabbed a young girl on Thursday for protesting his stalking and harassment, the police said. She escaped with minor injuries.

Keeping up with her daily routine, the girl was on her way to coaching classes in this city, part of the parliamentary constituency of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, when a group of boys intercepted her at the Vijay roundabout.

They started harassing her. When she objected to their behaviour and raised an alarm, one of the boys, identified as Rahul Sonkar, stabbed her, the police said.

Passersby quickly overpowered the assailant, although his friends managed to flee the scene.

The girl evaded any serious injury as she ducked at the time of the attack. The knife aimed at her stomach slit her hand and arm, the police added.

The girl was rushed to a nearby medical facility and was said to be out of danger.

The victim's friends told the police that Sonkar has been harassing her for the past few weeks.

Despite protests and threats by the girl that she would complain to her parents, he had continued to follow and harass her.