‘How I almost became a victim’
8 March 2013 5:38 AM IST
Despite Delhi police’s assurances of safety, the national capital continues to be unsafe for women, especially at night. And I, a reporter whose work hours demand her to return home late, got a first hand feel of it on Wednesday, while I was on my way home in north east Delhi from my office in Okhla Phase III on my scooty. I had just crossed the Surya Nagar traffic signal, when two men on a motorcycle, who seemed to be in their twenties, and behaving in a drunken manner started following me and making lewd comments. One of them grabbed my hand and tried to pull me towards them. borne followed me and in the mid way pulled my hand towards them and passed lewd comments on me. I managed to escape, but they continued to hit me from behind, causing me to lose my balance while driving.
The above incident took place during a traffic snarl caused by a police barricade near Seema Puri underpass, which falls under the jurisdiction of the Vivek Vihar police station. The cops on duty were trying to nab the duo because they were on a motorcycle without a helmet. But the two managed to dodge the police. I informed the cops that the two had tried to molest me, but they were hardly active in their efforts to catch the two. Instead, a cop on duty started complaining about their duty hours, which, he said, made them tired.
Meanwhile, trying to be brave, I continued on my way home. But again saw the two on Grand Truck flyover near the Mansarover Park metro station. When I neared the two to take down the license plate number of their vehicle, for I had already decided to file an official complaint, they saw me and made a speedy retreat. Unfortunately, I couldn’t take down the number.
But I remembered that there should be another police barricade in the area that falls under the jurisdiction of the Mansarovar Park police station and decided to follow and overtake them near the barricade, so that the police could catch them. Somehow I managed to overtake them near the barricade, but I was disappointed to see that there were no cops near the barricade. All the cops posted in there were resting inside the booth adjacent to the barricade. Alone in my attempt, to stop their retreat, I was again viciously attacked by the two. They scratched my hand and pushed me hard. Again the two managed to flee, and again the cops failed to catch them.
I am sorry to say that the harassment that I faced on Wednesay was by no means an isolated event.
This time, when I reached the local police station to complaint about Wednesday’s incident, I was asked to narrate my experience to first advised me to not travel alone in the night, and then made me wait for half an hour to lodge my complaint as the S.H.O was not in the police station. Later, the Additional S.H.O came and registered an official complaint, but an FIR was lodged only after I complained to to V.V Chaudhary, additional commissioner of police (north-east). A case has been now been registered against unknown people under sections -354(assault), 323 and 34 of Indian penal code.
The above incident took place during a traffic snarl caused by a police barricade near Seema Puri underpass, which falls under the jurisdiction of the Vivek Vihar police station. The cops on duty were trying to nab the duo because they were on a motorcycle without a helmet. But the two managed to dodge the police. I informed the cops that the two had tried to molest me, but they were hardly active in their efforts to catch the two. Instead, a cop on duty started complaining about their duty hours, which, he said, made them tired.
Meanwhile, trying to be brave, I continued on my way home. But again saw the two on Grand Truck flyover near the Mansarover Park metro station. When I neared the two to take down the license plate number of their vehicle, for I had already decided to file an official complaint, they saw me and made a speedy retreat. Unfortunately, I couldn’t take down the number.
But I remembered that there should be another police barricade in the area that falls under the jurisdiction of the Mansarovar Park police station and decided to follow and overtake them near the barricade, so that the police could catch them. Somehow I managed to overtake them near the barricade, but I was disappointed to see that there were no cops near the barricade. All the cops posted in there were resting inside the booth adjacent to the barricade. Alone in my attempt, to stop their retreat, I was again viciously attacked by the two. They scratched my hand and pushed me hard. Again the two managed to flee, and again the cops failed to catch them.
I am sorry to say that the harassment that I faced on Wednesay was by no means an isolated event.
This time, when I reached the local police station to complaint about Wednesday’s incident, I was asked to narrate my experience to first advised me to not travel alone in the night, and then made me wait for half an hour to lodge my complaint as the S.H.O was not in the police station. Later, the Additional S.H.O came and registered an official complaint, but an FIR was lodged only after I complained to to V.V Chaudhary, additional commissioner of police (north-east). A case has been now been registered against unknown people under sections -354(assault), 323 and 34 of Indian penal code.
Next Story
