Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) Chairperson Swati Maliwal was harassed and dragged by a drunk car driver for some distance on Thursday morning when she was out to inspect the state of women’s security in Delhi along with her team. The police have arrested the car driver, Harish Chandra, 47, a resident of Sangam Vihar, on charges of molestation and voluntarily causing hurt.
“Last night, I was inspecting the situation of women’s safety in Delhi. A car driver, in an inebriated condition, harassed me and when I caught hold of him, he rolled up the window pane on my hand and dragged me along. God saved my life. If the chairperson of the women’s commission is not safe in Delhi, one can then imagine the situation,” she tweeted about the incident in Hindi.
The DCW chief said she was inspecting the state of women’s security in Delhi in the wake of the Kanjhawla hit-and-drag incident in which a 20-year-old woman was dragged to death while trapped under a car in the national Capital. Maliwal’s team was with her during the inspection, although it was stationed at some distance.
Later, the DCW issued a statement saying Maliwal was standing at a bus stop on Ring Road opposite AIIMS when the car approached her.
“The driver rolled down the window and asked her to sit in the car but she refused. The man stared at her for some time and left the spot but again approached her after a while. He again asked her to sit in his car but she again refused. He started making lewd gestures towards her,” it said.
“When she approached him to reprimand him, he made a vulgar gesture towards her. When she tried to catch hold of him, he rolled up the window due to which Maliwal’s hand got stuck in it. He then pressed the accelerator to drag her for several metres with the car. She somehow managed to escape,” the statement added.
Taking a dig, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has asked Lt Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena to leave politics aside and focus on the law and order situation in the capital. “What happened to the law and order situation in Delhi? The morale of the goons has increased so much that even the women’s commission chairperson is not safe.”Only this work has been given to LG Sahib by the Constitution. LG Sahib is requested to leave politics for a few days and focus on law and order. We will fully cooperate with him,” Kejriwal said in a tweet in Hindi.
According to police, “a special patrolling vehicle had made the PCR call after the personnel spotted a lady outside the hospital. She was identified as Swati Maliwal. She mentioned that a person driving a Baleno (who was drunk) stopped near her and asked her to sit inside…with a bad intention. When she refused, he left but came back again and once again asked her to sit in the car. She again refused and went near his side to reprimand him. The car driver quickly rolled up the window and her hand got stuck… She was dragged for 10-15 metres”. The police said they took immediate action on Maliwal’s statement.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) Chandan Chowdhary said a case was registered under IPC sections 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 341 (wrongful restraint), 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) and 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) and section 185 of the Motor Vehicles Act at Kotla Mubarak Pur based on a complaint from the DCW chief.
The accused was produced before Link Metropolitan Magistrate Akansha Garg earlier today, and has been sent in judicial custody till February 2.
In the statement, the Delhi women’s panel said Maliwal visited several places near Kanjhawala, Munirka, Mundka and Hauz Khas following the Kanjhawla case. She also stopped at several bus stops at night and observed the safety situation, it added.
The National Commission for Women has sought a report from the Delhi Police on the matter. “@NCWIndia has taken cognizance of the matter. The Commission is seeking a report from @DelhiPolice and writing to take strict action against the accused,” it said in a tweet. NCW chairperson Rekha Sharma tweeted, “Shocking incident. NCW is seeking a report from Delhi Police and writing for strict action against the perpetrator.”