Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chief Swati Maliwal on Monday shared two disturbing videos on Twitter and asked the Delhi Police to file an action taken report in connection with the alleged sexual harassment complaint filed by female residents of a paying guest (PG) facility in the capital city.
The DCW had received the complaint that around midnight of June 12, when a resident of the PG in north Delhi while standing with her female friends on the balcony saw a youth outside the facility masturbating while staring at them.
A notice dated June 19 was sent to Delhi Police seeking an action taken report (ATR) in the matter. Delhi Police failed to file a reply.
DCW chief Maliwal today took to Twitter stating they received two complaints regarding presumably the same man indulging in obscene sexual acts outside the PG. She also shared the CCTV footage, calling it a “very serious” matter.
"Thousands of women and girls live in PGs in Delhi and their safety is extremely crucial. I have also been informed that this man has indulged in obscene actions more than once outside the same PG.
"Why and how are the criminals so emboldened in Delhi? Why no action is taken against them by the police in the first instance? FIR should be filed and this man should be immediately arrested by the police to deter such crimes,” she said.
The panel has now issued a summons to Delhi Police and has sought an action taken report in the case. It has asked Delhi Police to provide a copy of the FIR and details of arrests made in the matter and also to provide reasons for failing to provide an action taken report within the stipulated time.
It has asked the SHO of Maurice Nagar to appear before the DCW on June 28 and provide an action taken report on the matter.
In April, a similar issue was raised when a video of a man purportedly masturbating in a Delhi Metro train surfaced. Maliwal had issued notices to the Delhi Police and Delhi Metro calling the video "absolutely disgusting and sickening". She called for the strictest action against the person.
Another video, shared by journalist Atul Krishnan in April showed two men on Delhi Metro indulged in oral sex, as he called for strict action. The videos, however, cannot be independently verified.
According to the latest available data on National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), Delhi topped the list of crimes against women among the Union territories, with more than 14,000 cases registered in 2021.
