Delhi women's panel chief Swati Maliwal 'molested, dragged' by 'drunk car driver' for 15 metres

ANI

New Delhi, January 19

Delhi Police on Thursday said they had arrested a man in connection with an incident in which Delhi Commission for Women chief Swati Maliwal alleged that she was "molested" and "dragged by a car" for several metres opposite AIIMS in the national capital in the early hours of Thursday.

कल देर रात मैं दिल्ली में महिला सुरक्षा के हालात Inspect कर रही थी। एक गाड़ी वाले ने नशे की हालत में मुझसे छेड़छाड़ की और जब मैंने उसे पकड़ा तो गाड़ी के शीशे में मेरा हाथ बंद कर मुझे घसीटा। भगवान ने जान बचाई। यदि दिल्ली में महिला आयोग की अध्यक्ष सुरक्षित नहीं, तो हाल सोच लीजिए।

— Swati Maliwal (@SwatiJaiHind) January 19, 2023

Speaking to ANI, DCP South Chandan Chowdhary said that according to Maliwal, she was with her team outside the All India Institute of Medical Sciences here at around 2.45am when the arrested man, later identified as Harish Chandra, hailing from city's Sangam Vihar and who appeared to be in an inebriated state approached her.

The DCW chief in her complaint to the police alleged that the man who was driving a white-coloured car stopped his car near where she was standing and "made indecent gestures". He then beckoned her to sit in his vehicle, claimed Maliwal. When the DCW chief reprimanded him, the man allegedly went away but returned a short while later and repeated his actions, the police said.

"She was standing with her team at Gate 2 of AIIMS which falls under the Kotla police station area. According to her, when she was standing on the footpath, a white-coloured vehicle approached her whose driver offered her a lift and started insisting that she sit in the car.

"When she refused and went near the driver's window to reprimand him, the man rolled up the car's glass window and her hand got stuck and she got dragged for about 10-15 metres," DCP Chowdhary said.

The police official said a PCR call was received at around 3.12am and a police team, including the ACP, Hauz Khas, reached the spot at around 3.20am and the accused was apprehended.

"The police took a written complaint from Maliwal and sent her and the accused for medical examination," the DCP added.

A case was registered under Sections 323/341/509 of the IPC and 185 of the Motor Vehicles Act. Later, the section of molestation (354) was also included.

Further investigation is under way.

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