Noida: 2 held after video of SUV driver making ‘lewd’ gestures goes viral

Police investigation revealed that the incident took place on January 31 on the Noida Elevated Road, connecting Sector 18 to 62

Two people, including the driver of an SUV, have been arrested for allegedly making lewd gestures at the passengers of another car in Noida on January 31, officials said on Monday, adding that a video clip of the incident was widely circulated on Sunday and they were nabbed that evening.

Both also revealed that they were aware that the man was filming the incident. Their SUV MG Hector was also seized. (HT Photo)

The 12-second video shows the driver of an SUV pull up his car next to a vehicle that is passing by, stick his hand outside the video and make, what appear to be, inappropriate gestures at its passengers. In the background, the voice of a man — presumably the one recording the video — can be heard narrating the incident, claiming that the SUV driver is “inebriated” and was “misbehaving”.

The person recording then pans the camera into the vehicle in which he is sitting and claims that the SUV driver is making the gestures at the woman who can be seen sitting in the backseat. A child was also reportedly sitting in the front seat of the vehicle.

HT, however, could not independently verify the authenticity of the video.

On Sunday, Noida police took suo motu cognisance of the video and registered a case under sections 78 (stalking) and 79 (words, gestures, sounds, or actions intended to insult a woman’s modesty) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and under the Information Technology (IT) Act at Phase 3 police station.

Police investigation revealed that the incident took place on January 31 on the Noida Elevated Road, connecting Sector 18 to 62.

“With the help of the vehicle’s registration number, we have arrested the two men seen in the video. They are both in their 30s and residents of a society in Sector 135,” said Puneet Singh, station house officer (SHO), Phase 3, adding that both work as engineers at a private firm in Noida. They were apprehended from their homes late Sunday evening.

“We are scanning CCTV cameras in the area to identify the vehicle to approach the (victim) family to get their version of the incident,” said the SHO.

During interrogation, the SHO said, “[The SUV driver] said that, on January 31 around 11 pm, when he and his friend were returning home from Sector 18, a car driver rashly overtook his vehicle on the Elevated Road. When he followed that car and confronted the man seated in the front, he appeared to be drunk. Following a brief verbal argument, he (SUV driver) left the spot while passing gestures at the child.” .

They also revealed that they were aware that the man was filming the incident. Their SUV MG Hector was also seized.

On why the co-passenger was arrested, a senior police officer said, “As the video was widely circulated and he was with him at the time of the incident, he was nabbed as well,” refusing to give more details.

Both suspects were produced before the court on Monday and sent to jail after they were produced before the court.