Man held for sexual harassment of homeless woman in Delhi's Palam Village

DCP (southwest) Amit Goel said the woman told the police team nothing had happened to her and that she did not want to take any action.

Police have arrested a 51-year-old man for the alleged sexual harassment of a homeless woman sleeping on a footpath at night in southwest Delhi’s Palam Village, police said on Saturday.

The local police station initiated a search and arrested a 51-year-old, identified as Mahavir, who works at a tent house, on Saturday. (Sanjeev Verma/ Hindustan Times/Representative)

Deputy commissioner of police (southwest) Amit Goel said that on May 24, police received a PCR recall reporting that a man was inappropriately touching the homeless woman on the footpath. “A team was deployed to the scene and found the woman, who allegedly told police that nothing had happened to her and that she did not wish to take any action,” the DCP said.

However, the local police station initiated a search. On May 30, police arrested the 51-year-old, identified as Mahavir, who works at a tent house, DCP Goel added.

Police said a case under sections 74 (Assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 75(sexual harassment) and 296 (obscene acts or songs) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) was registered based on the PCR caller’s statement.

Officials said an alleged video of the incident surfaced on social media, showing the suspect allegedly involved in an indecent act with the woman.

The woman could not be found till Saturday evening, said a senior police official familiar with the matter.