Video Producer: Shohini Bose
Video Editor: Purnendu Pritam
A day after a video of a man thrashing a woman and forcing her to sit inside a car in the middle of a busy road in outer Delhi's Mangolpuri went viral on social media, the Delhi Police on Sunday, 19 March, said they have traced the vehicle, its driver, the woman, and the accused involved in the incident.
The purported video of the incident shows the man grabbing the woman by her clothes and dragging her towards the car. After making her sit inside the car, the man and his friend are also seen getting inside the vehicle.
The investigation: As per DCP (outer) Harendra Singh, the incident occurred on the night of Saturday, 18 March, near the Mangolpuri flyover.
"We received a call at 10.01 pm on Saturday about three men beating up a woman and shoving her into a car. The caller also shared the number of the car. We then found out that it is an Uber taxi," the DCP said.
The police said they identified the driver of the car, who informed them that the woman and her friend booked the Uber from Rohini to Vikaspuri.
The Uber driver said that after the scuffle, he dropped them at their destination.
"We tracked down the woman using her mobile number on Uber. She told us that she and her friend fought over some personal issues on the way to Vikaspuri. She got off the car near the Mangolpuri signal. Her friend also got off and physically assaulted her, forcing her to get back into the car," the DCP alleged.
The charges: The Delhi Police initially registered a case under Section 365 (kidnapping) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
"We are currently recording the statement of the woman. She is also undergoing counselling and a few medical tests. Once her statement is taken, we will take appropriate legal action," said DCP Singh.
The woman works as an accountant while the accused runs a flour mill.
On Sunday, 19 March, Delhi Commission for Woman (DCW) chairperson Swati Maliwal tweeted a video of the incident, calling for strict action against the accused.
"Taking cognisance of this viral video of a woman being forced into a vehicle and beaten up, I am issuing a notice to the Delhi Police. The commission will ensure strict action against these people," the tweet read.
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