New Delhi: Delhi police have arrested a trio, including a juvenile, after the young woman from Japan was subjected to groping, harassment, and manhandling by a group of men during the Holi festival celebrations in Delhi, officials said. Police said the video is of Holi (celebrated on March 8).
It was shot an area of Paharganj here. She has not made any complaint. Not by phone call or through her country's embassy. An embassy official in response to our e-mail stating that no complaint has been raised so far, a senior police officer said quoting the email conversation.
Meanwhile, police have identified the participants in the video as residents of Paharganj. Three persons, including one juvenile, have been apprehended and are being questioned. They have confessed to their involvement in the incident as seen in the video, the police official said.
The incident caught on camera has gone viral on social media, and has sparked outrage among the masses. Some netizens have also called for strong action against the abusers, some of whom appear to be teenagers as seen in the video.
In the video, the men can be seen grabbing the woman and smearing colors on her while chanting "Holi Hai". One of the men also smashes an egg on her head. The woman can be heard saying "bye, bye" as she tries to escape the group, but she is pushed around. In the end, the woman can be seen left drenched and unrecognizable with colors smeared on her face.
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It is pertinent to note that the officials had earlier initiated steps to hold the abusers accountable for the incident as they are also trying to identify the boys in the video through divisional officers and local intelligence. They had assured that action will be taken once the identity of the perpetrators are known.
The incident has been flagged to the Delhi Police and the National Commission for Women for action. BJP leader Khushboo Sundar, who is a member of the National Commission for Women, has tweeted that the incident is sickening and that the woman should send a notice to the NCW.
Holi is an annual festival of colors celebrated in many parts of India. The festival was celebrated in Delhi and parts of northern India on Wednesday, while many states celebrated Holi the day before. The incident has sparked a conversation about the safety of women during such festivals and the need for stricter laws and enforcement to prevent such incidents from happening in the future.
