New Delhi, May 11 (PTI) Two women, one from Assam and the other from Bihar, were allegedly molested, assaulted, and subjected to racist remarks by a group of men outside a hotel in southeast Delhi’s Nehru Place, with police identifying four suspects and detaining two of them.
“Out of the two women, one is from Assam, and the other is from Bihar. Two out of the four identified accused have been detained, and interrogation is going on,” a senior police officer said, assuring that others will be apprehended soon.
The incident occurred around 6.30 am on May 10, near a tea stall outside the hotel. A call regarding women in distress was received by the Kalkaji Police Station at around 7 am, prompting local police teams to rush to the scene, where they found the two women.
“Preliminary enquiry revealed that the women were allegedly subjected to derogatory remarks and abuses by a group of men, which later escalated into a physical altercation,” a senior police officer said.
According to the women, they were having tea outside the hotel when two men started catcalling them. Soon, several others allegedly joined in, leading to an argument that later turned violent.
“One of the complainants alleged that she was molested during the incident and that her clothes were torn. The women also alleged that racist remarks were passed against them by the accused,” the officer said.
Additionally, one of the women claimed she was attacked with a bamboo stick while they were trying to leave the area. The accused allegedly blocked their path and threatened them with consequences if they reported the incident.
“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,” the officer said.
According to the FIR, the women told the police that they were having tea when two men first started catcalling them. “Then, their friends joined in and started poking us. The accused beat my friend and even tore her clothes. They used obscene language towards us,” read the FIR.
The women informed the police that they would be able to identify the accused if they were presented before them.
As part of the probe, CCTV footage from nearby areas was scanned, and several witnesses and passersby present during the incident were identified and questioned.
During the investigation, eight individuals, including witnesses and passersby, were rounded up and questioned, following which four main accused involved in the incident were identified, police said.
Multiple police teams were formed, and raids were conducted at locations linked to the accused to apprehend the rest of the accused.
Several videos of the incident surfaced on social media, providing crucial leads to investigators.
“It appears the women recorded some of the videos during the altercation, clearly capturing the faces of several accused, which quickly aided the police in their identification process,” a police officer privy to the investigation said.
According to police, one of the clips, 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.
The police have preserved the videos as key evidence and are examining them frame by frame to identify all individuals involved. Investigators continue to scan CCTV footage from nearby establishments and question eyewitnesses.
The officer added that multiple police teams have been deployed and raids are underway at several locations to apprehend the remaining accused. PTI BM SSH SGV BM MPL MPL
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