New Delhi: Harish Chandra, accused of molesting and dragging Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chairperson Swati Maliwal, was on Thursday sent to 14-day judicial custody by a Delhi court. Chandra, 47, was arrested by the Delhi Police on Thursday and his car was also seized. Earlier, Delhi Police said that DCW chief Swati Maliwal claimed that she was “molested” and “dragged by a car” near AIIMS in the national capital in the early hours of Thursday.
Speaking to ANI, DCP Dakshin Chandan Chowdhary said that according to Maliwal, she along with her team was outside the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) here at around 2.45 am when the arrested accused, identified as Harish Chandra, a resident of Sangam Vihar area Happened as , reached him in a state of intoxication.
The DCW chief, in his complaint to the police, alleged that a man driving a white car stopped near where she was standing and made “obscene gestures” at her. He then asked her to sit inside his vehicle, Maliwal claimed. When she scolded him, the man allegedly left, but returned after a while and repeated his actions again, police said. She was standing with her team at gate number two of AIIMS in Kotla police station area.
Late last night I was inspecting the situation of women’s security in Delhi. A driver of a car molested me in a drunken state and when I caught hold of him, he locked my hand in the mirror of the car and dragged me. God saved life. If the Chairperson of the Women’s Commission is not safe in Delhi, then imagine the situation.
— Swati Maliwal (@SwatiJaiHind) January 19, 2023
According to Maliwal’s complaint, when she was standing on the footpath, a white colored vehicle approached her, whose driver offered her a lift and insisted that she sit inside the car.
DCP Chowdhary said, “When she again refused and went near the driver’s side window to reprimand him, the man smashed the glass of the car and his hand got trapped and he was dragged for about 10-15 meters.” ” The police officer said that a PCR call was received at around 3.12 am and a police team including ACP Hauz Khas reached the spot at around 3.20 am and the accused was apprehended.
“The police took a written complaint from Maliwal and sent him and the accused for medical examination,” the DCP said.
A case was registered under IPC including section (354) of molestation. Other sections include 323/341/509 IPC and 185 Motor Vehicles Act. Further investigation of the matter is underway.
Meanwhile, the National Commission for Women (NCW) has taken cognizance of the incident and has written to the Commissioner of Police, Delhi to personally intervene in the matter and ensure that strict action is taken against the accused person and also sought a detailed action taken report Go Inform the commission within two days.
NCW Chairperson Rekha Sharma said, “We have taken cognizance of the incident. It points a finger at the safety of women in Delhi. Though the police have arrested the person behind it, why did such an incident happen?” , Maliwal’s claim comes days after a 20-year-old woman named Anjali died after she was allegedly dragged for several kilometers in Delhi’s Kanjhawala area.