A woman and her friends were allegedly thrashed by the bouncers of the “Da Code” club in South Delhi. The women alleged that her clothes were torn off and the manager of the club was also involved in the brawl, said the police. However, the owner of the club denied all charges and accused Delhi Police personnel of mental and physical harassment and demanding ‘extortion’ money. The club owner Surendra Singh claimed that the club has been falsely implicated in the case as he didn’t pay the extortion money amounting to `5 lakh.
Police said they are enquiring into the allegations made by the club owner.
According to the police, the incident took place on the intervening night of September 17-18 and a PCR call was received at regarding the incident.
“The female caller told police of misbehaviour and tearing off the clothes of a woman at the club in South Extension after which the police reached the spot and met the caller,” said a senior police official adding that a police team reached the spot.
“On reaching the spot, police team found that the caller’s clothes were messed up and disordered. She told police that she was misbehaved and hit by the bouncers and they had also touched her inappropriately and tore her clothes,” said the police official.
“An FIR under sections 323 (Punishment for voluntarily causing hurt), 354 A (Sexual harassment and punishment for sexual harassment), 354 B (Assault or use of criminal force to woman with intent to disrobe), 509 (Word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code has been registered.
Days after a woman was thrashed, the club was again in controversy after police detained seven of its people after they allegedly tried to stop police personnel who went there after a complaint of quarrel and loud music was recieved.
According to Chandan Chowdhary, the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), South district, a PCR call was received on September 24 around 12.02 AM regarding a quarrel with bouncers of the club and DJ loud sound.
When the police reached the spot and tried to enter the club, the bouncers tried to stop them following which seven persons were detained under sections 107 and 151 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, said police.
Meanwhile, the DCP said that three years ago in 2019 when the Excise Staff came to conduct a raid in the club, they were assaulted and confined in the bar for several hours by the owner and his staff.
“Police team reached there and intervened in the matter. The club owner, his son and staff were also charge-sheeted in the said case,” said the DCP.
On the other hand, the owner of the club had written a letter to the Special Commissioner of Police (Law and order), in which he had accused the local police personnel of demanding Rs five lakh extortion money every month.
“When I refused to pay the money, I was threatened by them,” he wrote in his letter.
He further wrote that on September 18, around 1 am, 4 boys and 3 girls, who were drunk, misbehaved with the staff and when they were told to behave, the girls threatened to implicate them and they even forcibly took Rs 1.5 lakh from the podium.
“They then made a call to the police. When the police came, it was the same police personnel, who had been threatening us with extortion and then he again threatened us of severe consequences,” he wrote. “Two of club staff members were detained next day and for over 22 hours they kept in custody where they were thrashed with belts, sticks and shoes at regular intervals.