'Tried to force us into car': 3 arrested after Nagaland woman's complaint in Delhi

The woman claimed that the accused appeared to be intoxicated and had removed the car's number plate to conceal their identity.

Three men have been arrested in connection with an alleged assault and kidnapping attempt involving a 28-year-old woman from Nagaland and her friends outside a five-star hotel in Delhi's Chanakyapuri area in the early hours of October 4, Delhi Police said on Wednesday.

Police initially said the three accused had joined the investigation but had not been arrested as officers sought to establish the sequence of events. (HT File Photo/Representational)

According to police, the incident took place around 3.30am in the parking area near the exit gate of the hotel. A PCR call about a fight brought a police team to the spot, where officers found a large crowd and two groups involved in an argument.

In her complaint, the woman alleged that she and a female friend had stepped out to use the washroom when three men in a white Mercedes allegedly approached them and tried to force them into their vehicle. She alleged that when her male friends intervened, the three men attacked them with hockey sticks and punched them.

The woman alleged that one of the men pulled her towards the vehicle. She also claimed that the accused appeared to be intoxicated and had removed the car's number plate to conceal their identity. According to her complaint, the men tried to flee after police arrived and allegedly attempted to hit them with the vehicle.

The woman told police that one of her male friends intervened when the men allegedly tried to pull her towards the car. The accused then allegedly attacked him with hockey sticks and punched him in the face, before assaulting two other male friends with hockey sticks and a gear lock, according to her complaint.

The Times of India also reported that an official at The Ashok hotel said those involved were guests of SOHO, a separate entity and club operating from premises leased from the hotel. The official said The Ashok had no connection with the incident.

Police initially said the three accused had joined the investigation but had not been arrested as officers sought to establish the sequence of events. Police subsequently said all three men had been arrested in connection with the case.

An FIR was registered at Chanakyapuri police station under sections 115(2) (causing hurt), 126(2) (wrongful restraint) and 3(5) (common intention) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

Medical examinations at Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital also recorded injuries among those involved. Police records showed no fresh external injuries on four members of the woman's group, according to the Times of India. However, the medical report of one man said he had been brought for examination following an alleged physical assault and recorded loss of consciousness. One man from the other group was found to have swelling and tenderness in the little finger of his right hand, with restricted movement, while two others had no fresh external injuries, the report said.

Police also preserved blood samples from members of both groups as part of the investigation, according to the Times of India. The FIR was registered based on the PCR call, circumstances at the spot, medical reports and the woman's complaint.

Expressing fear for her safety, the complainant stated in the FIR: “I am from Nagaland, North East and I do not feel safe any more after this incident. I request you to take strict action towards the culprit and arrest them at the earliest. It is an attempt to murder and kidnap towards us.”

Police have also seized a white hatchback belonging to one of the victim's group and mobile phones as part of the investigation. The reason for the seizure of the vehicle was not immediately clear.

Police are examining CCTV footage from the hotel and other evidence to establish the sequence of events and determine the roles of those involved.

(With inputs from ANI)