The son of a Delhi Police sub-inspector was arrested on Friday after a video in which he is seen beating a girl went viral. Police action came after Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh took cognisance of the video and asked Delhi Police Commissioner Amulya Patnaik to take action against the accused.
A complaint was received from a woman late on Thursday night at Tilak Nagar police station in West Delhi, alleging that her estranged male friend Rohit Tomar sent the video to her — in which he was seen assaulting the woman — and threatened her that she will meet the same consequences if she did not agree to his marriage proposal.
The cases against the accused — one of criminal intimidation and molestation and the other of rape — were registered based on the version of two women at Tilak Nagar and Uttam Nagar police stations. “Accused Rohit Tomar (21), son of Delhi Police sub-inspector Ashok Singh Tomar, was arrested by Tilak Nagar police staff on Friday.
An FIR was registered in Dwarka district’s Uttam Nagar police station by the woman who was brutally beaten up in the video. The video which went viral on social media was shot in West Delhi’s Uttam Nagar on September 2 and was shot by the accused’s friend,” the police said.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Dwarka) Anto Alphonse revealed, “Efforts were made to contact the girl after the video went viral. On Friday, the victim contacted the police and filed a complaint against Rohit. She told the police that Rohit called her to his friend’s house in Uttam Nagar and made physical relations without her consent.”
“The victim alleged that when she threatened the accused that she will file a complaint against him, Rohit dragged and beat her up while the act was being recorded by his friend. Fearing reprisal from the accused, she didn’t lodge a complaint after the assault,” DCP Dwarka stated.
“The victim was taken for medical examination after which a case under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) was registered against the accused Rohit Tomar,” the DCP added.
An FIR was also registered late on Thursday against the accused at the Tilak Nagar police station by a woman who was in a relationship with the accused alleging that Rohit showed her the video, said a senior police officer.
“A case under sections 323 (dealing with punishment for voluntary hurt), 354(dealing with assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 506 (dealing with criminal intimidation), 509 (dealing with insult to modesty of a woman) and 34 (dealing with acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) was registered against the accused Rohit,” DCP (West) Monika Bharadwaj stated.
“I have taken note of a video where a youth has been seen brutally beating a woman. I have spoken to the Delhi Police Commissioner over the phone and directed him to take necessary action in this regard,” Rajnath Singh tweeted.
“The accused Rohit Tomar, a student of BA second year from Delhi University open school was arrested,” DCP (West) Monika Bhardwaj stated.
Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) Chairperson Swati Maliwal also issued a notice to the Station House Officer of the Tilak Nagar police station stating, “It was observed that appropriate sections were not included in the FIR. Further there are reports of the victim and her family receiving threats to withdraw the case.”
The DCW has sought factual report of the incident and copy of the FIR registered in the matter. Further details regarding the steps taken by the Delhi Police to ensure security for the victim and her family, reasons for non-inclusion of appropriate section under the IPC was also sought by the Commission.