A student of Delhi University (DU) has lodged a complaint against a middle-aged man for allegedly masturbating beside her in a moving DTC bus and trying to repeatedly touch her waist. The incident took place on February 7.
In the video uploaded by the victim on social media shows the man masturbating in the bus, while other passengers didn’t come to her rescue when she asked for help. According to the FIR, the incident occurred between Vasant Village and IIT Gate.
The complainant shouted at the accused, but "he did not understand" and the co-passengers also "ignored it," the FIR read.
An FIR has been lodged with Vasant Vihar Police under sections 354 (sexual harassment), 354A, and 294 (obscene act in public place) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). An investigation is underway.
“I was travelling in crowded bus when a man sitting next to me masturbated. I was left stunned but then I made a video of the incident and posted it on social media to make people aware of the incident. People don't even consider something like this a form of sexual harassment,” She told ANI
“I raised an alarm, but no one responded…I yelled at the man but no one said anything,” she said, adding that the man deboarded at IIT-Gate.
After the incident came to light, Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chief Swati Maliwal took to Twitter to say she had spoken to the SHO in the matter.
“Had seen her shocking tweet and assisted her in getting FIR filed. That act caught on video was too sick. Worst is no one in bus came to her aid. Had called SHO Vasant Vihar to ensure imm arrest. This man is a danger to society and shud b given strong punishment!,” she tweeted.
The incident has yet again raised several questions on the security of women in the national capital.
In December last year, the Delhi Police registered a case against a man who allegedly molested a 32-year-old woman on the terrace of a building in Connaught Place. In her FIR, the woman, who works at a language institute in the building in Connaught Place, said that around 10 am on November 30 she had gone to the terrace of the building to make a phone call. A man came in and started staring at her, the complainant said. The woman alleged that the man then started masturbating in front of her. When she rushed towards the terrace door, she realised that it was bolted.
However, according to a report released by Delhi Police, the cases of crime against women in the national capital, including rape and molestation have declined in 2017 by 0.73 and 18.88% respectively. The total number of rape cases reported in 2017 were 2049 as compared to last year's 2064.
"Molestation cases have also seen a decline with 3,273 incidents reported as compared to 4,035 in 2016," it stated.
(With agency inputs)
