- A group of men in Delhi passed derogatory remarks and later assaulted two women
- Their clothes were torn and they were allegedly molested as a crowd watched, but no one intervened
- One of the clips recorded by the women shows a group of men hurling abuses
Two women were sipping tea on a peaceful Sunday morning in Delhi's Nehru Place. Suddenly, a group of men started passing derogatory remarks, a response from one of the women to which instigated physical assault. Soon, their clothes were torn and they were allegedly molested as a crowd watched, but no one intervened.
The incident occurred at a tea stall outside a hotel on May 10 around 7 am. Two men took off their shirts and starting catcalling, the women recounted in their police complaint. "We confronted them about it. Afterwards, we moved further away and sat down quietly," one of the women told ANI.
The men returned and were soon joined by more, all provoking the two women - one from Assam and the other from Bihar - while also attacking them. The women alleged that one of them was molested and her clothes were torn, while the accused uttered racist slurs and even attacked them with a bamboo stick while they were trying to escape. "Those men came really close to us, and when my friend pushed him, one of them slapped her," one of the women recounted.
According to police, one of the clips recorded by the women, around two minutes long, purportedly shows a group of men hurling abuses at the women while appearing to be under the influence of alcohol. The video also allegedly captures a tense exchange in which one of the accused is heard attempting to stop the recording. "In the footage, one of the men can be heard saying, 'Bhai ye toh video bana rahi hai, kya karey?' (She is making a video, what should I do?) Following which, abusive language was used," the officer said.
As the incident unfolded, the women claimed that several people stood witness, some even "watching and laughing", but no one responded to calls for help. My blood pressure dropped because of the aggression and stress. We were also on our periods at that time and were already uncomfortable," one of the women told PTI.
The incident, one of the victims said, was long in the making. "They tried to harass me many times, but I never gave those people any attention. Since my friends were not present there on that particular day, they took advantage of the situation. The local police do not patrol the area at night," she said. The accused continued to follow them and they did not feel protected even while the police accompanied them, the women said.
Even after the incident was over, the women felt the fear of being followed, the trauma of the alleged assault and the struggle to feel normal again. "I haven't been able to eat or sleep since the incident. My entire body is in pain. I'm worried about my mental health," one of them told PTI. "I am bold, and I want to continue being bold, but I also want to feel safe. I am able to speak up, but there are many girls who cannot. What will happen to them? That is why I want safety," the woman from Assam added.
"Both women were rushed to AIIMS for medical examination after police reached the scene. A case has been registered at the Kalkaji police station under Sections 115 (2) (voluntarily causing hurt), 74 (assault of criminal force to against a woman with the intent to outrage her modesty), 126(2) (wrongful restraint), 351(2) (criminal intimidation), 78 (stalking) and 3(5) (common intentions) of the BNS on May 10 and investigation was taken up immediately," a police officer told PTI.
The videos recorded by the women aided quick investigation and identification of the accused. CCTV footage of the area was also examined, following which eight individuals were questioned. Later, four accused - identified as Md Fahad, who works as a computer operator at a private institute; Md Savej, a contract worker and former club bouncer; Md Arif (33), who works at a mobile store in Noida; and Aman alias Mohd Faheem alias Kala (21), Jamia Nagar - were arrested.
