Delhi: Woman Beaten, Allegedly Paraded Naked After She Helps Woman Commission Raid On Illicit Liquor

A 33-year-old woman was allegedly attacked with iron rods, dragged out of a house where she tried to seek refuge and her clothes ripped apart before being paraded in the lanes of a JJ colony by a group of women in Narela on Thursday. The said woman is a volunteer of Delhi Commission for Women. The woman had been instrumental in getting the raid conducted on the illicit liquor in Narela on Wednesday.

The victim, Praveen is a resident of a JJ cluster and she had been protesting against the sale of illegal liquor in the area. She had accompanied the chief of Delhi Women’s Commission Swati Maliwal to a house in Narela pocket 11 where they seized several bottles of illegal liquor.

The victim is the mother of four children. She has alleged that her attackers were women and her attackers were also involved in the illicit liquor trade. She has been admitted to government hospital in central Delhi after being shifted from a local one.

The incident

The police have taken cognisance of the incident. The police said that the victim was a member of the Nasha Mukti Panchayat in that area. She has assisted them at times in curbing the sale of illegal liquor in the slums. However, the police have denied that the victim was paraded naked, saying that her clothes might have been torn in the scuffle.

On Wednesday night, DCW chief Swati Maliwal and her team conducted a night vigil at Narela as part of their campaign — “Fight the Fear”. The DCW chairperson, Swati (Maliwal) Jaihind, took to Twitter to vent out her anger at the incident and condemn the incident. She says that the young woman had spoken out against the sale of liquor illegally from a house in the area at a Mahila panchayat organised by the commission in Narela on Wednesday. Along with Jaihind, she led the police to the home where they confiscated 350 illicit beer and liquor bottles.

According to a report by The Indian Express, Maliwal said, “At 11 am on Thursday, Praveen got out of her house and was surrounded by a mob — including the men and women who were in the house — and was beaten with iron rods. Her clothes were torn and she was paraded naked.”

The DCW chief shared two videos and photographs on Twitter showing the woman sharing her concern about the illegal sale of liquor and then crying profusely while explaining her ordeal.

रात हमने नरेला में घर में बिकती शराब पकड़ाई, पुलिस ने बेचने वालो को अरेस्ट न किया। अपराधियों के हौसले इतने बुलंद थे कि उनने DCW वालंटियर के कपड़े फाड़ इलाके में नंगा घुमाया। कोई अरेस्ट न हुआ। महिला की खून खौलाने वाली आप बीती सुनें@LtGovDelhi @CPDelhi। DCW ने DCP को सम्मन किया है। pic.twitter.com/HQnmqN9fTF

— Swati Jai Hind (@SwatiJaiHind) December 7, 2017

These are two more tweets by the Women Commission cheif:

DCW lady volunteer who led yesterday's liqour op has been attacked brutally by same ppl who sold liquor. I am on my way to Narela. So shameful. Neither is Delhi Police able to prevent illegal sale of liqour or molestations, nor is it able to protect those who fight against it! https://t.co/UrVdayltUT

— Swati Jai Hind (@SwatiJaiHind) December 7, 2017

खुद पुलिस इस अपराध को रोक नही सकती और जब दिल्ली महिला आयोग रोकने की कोशिश करता है तो हमपे ही हमले होते हैं। मेरे पुलिस को बोलने के बावजूद की लड़की की सुरक्षा करें फिर भी उसको सुरक्षा नही दी गयी। कितनी असक्षम है दिल्ली पुलिस! दिल्ली है या गुंडा राज? https://t.co/oZ3LcpaDgJ

— Swati Jai Hind (@SwatiJaiHind) December 7, 2017

According to a report by The Times of India, the woman’s mother-in-law said that her daughter-in-law had fainted in the hospital. “She was attacked brutally by some women who first followed her, beat her up and tore her clothes. They even paraded her around, this is just shocking,” she said while sobbing.

CM Arvind Kejriwal said that the incident was shameful. This is what he tweeted:

Utterly shocking and shameful that this is happening in the capital of India. I urge Hon’ble LG to immediately intervene, take action against local policemen and ensure everyone’s safety https://t.co/Den926EgML

— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) December 7, 2017

Summoning the DCP

Jaihind later issued summons to the deputy commissioner of Police of Rohini district in the matter, which pertains to the Begumpur police station. The DCP has been asked to appear in person before the commission on December 12 or face action.

The summon says, “In a most unfortunate and shocking development, one woman who gave inputs to the commission during the inspection was today attacked by a large mob of over 25 of these criminals and assaulted with iron rods. Her clothes were torn and she was paraded naked in the area. The entire incident was filmed and the video was allegedly shared in the area by these criminals.” Jaihind has also accused the police of not taking any action to protect the woman and has even accused it of “active connivance.”

DCW has registered an FIR in the case of the attack on the woman and in the matter of liquor being sold illegally. DCP (Rohini) Rajneesh Gupta said the attackers were women of the Sansi community. According to a report by The Indian Express, DCP said, “Praveen was assaulted by Asha and other Sansi women around noon. She was medically examined and an FIR under IPC sections 323/342/354/354B/506/509/34 has been registered. Efforts are on to arrest the accused… The injury is blunt… there is no fracture..”

When The Logical Indian got in touch with the Begumpur Police Station, an official said that an FIR has been registered and efforts were on to arrest the women. The main accused, Asha and her husband have a criminal record and they have attacked the victim earlier as well. Earlier, there were several cases under Excise Act have been lodged against them.

The police have registered a case pertaining to assault with intent to outrage woman’s modesty, making sexually explicit overtures and remarks, using word or gesture that is intended to insult the modesty of a woman and assault, among others.

However, Delhi Police’s spokesperson, Madhur Verma has pointed out that 55 cases under the Excise Act had been registered against the bootleggers of this neighbourhood. Verma also contested Jaihind’s allegations that a police post was located barely 50 metres from the spot of assault. Verma said, “The nearest police post from that place is around five kilometres away.”

The Logical Indian take

The Logical Indian community condemns the actions which were taken by the accused against the victim. What seems to be more shocking is the fact that the police did not intervene in the matter, where the law and order situation is being disrupted. The victim was actively trying to bring an end to the illegal sale of liquor and in return, she is being beaten up. The Delhi police’s lack of promptness is providing her security and taking up actions against the women who perpetrated the violence against her, is highly deplorable. Delhi police are neither being able to curb the sale of illegal liquor nor can it provide safety to the ones who are fighting against it.