‘They argued, then…’: People in Delhi taxi ‘assault’ viral video were friends, says police

Delhi police on Sunday, after tracing the group of people seen in the viral video of a woman being shoved into a cab on busy road, found that they were friends and had gotten into an altercation, following which the assault happened.

Delhi police said Sunday that the people involved in the assault of the woman, seen being pushed into a cab in a viral video, were her friends and the incident happened following an altercation between them. The police were able to trace the persons in the viral video on the basis of the digital payment made to the taxi and the number used to book the car, Harendra K. Singh, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Outer) said.

Screengrab of viral video showing a woman being shoved into a cab by a man, identified as her 'friend' by the police. (Twitter.)

“Yesterday at 10pm, Mangolpuri police station (outer district) received information of three men beating a woman. Under the Indian Penal Code 365, a case was registered and an investigation was launched. As the taxi's number flashed on call, alert for a search operation in Delhi and neighbouring areas was made and it was found registered under the name Shailender,” Singh said to news agency ANI.

On the driver's role in the incident, Singh said, “Since the matter got heated, the driver asked them to get out of the taxi.” After tracing the group, the police recorded their statements. “ The woman’s statement was recorded with a counsellor and medical assistance is being provided,” Singh added.

The DCP said further course of action in the incident will be taken upon the woman’s statement.

The video of the incident, which followed on a busy road in the national capital, was widely circulated on social media, evoking fears about the safety of women, as netizens fumed over public inaction in the matter. As viral as the video went, the Delhi Commission for Women chief Swati Maliwal also took cognisance and issued notice to the police for immediate action.