Family assaulted in east Delhi’s Laxmi Nagar, man arrested

The victim family alleged that when they went to file a case against the attackers, they were initially turned away - an allegation denied by the police.

A family was assaulted by a group of men following a street quarrel in East Delhi’s Laxmi Nagar on Thursday night, the Delhi Police said on Monday.

The events leading to the crime began around 10 pm on Thursday when a 63-year-old man went out to the local market in Laxmi Nagar to buy bread. (HT image)

The victim family alleged that when they went to file a case against the attackers, they were initially turned away - an allegation denied by the police.

Jasmeet Singh, deputy commissioner of police (east), said that one of the suspects has been arrested and efforts are on to nab the others. “We have registered a case of molestation, assault, wrongful restraint and house trespassing against the suspects,” the DCP added.

The events leading to the crime began around 10 pm on Thursday when a 63-year-old man went out to the local market in Laxmi Nagar to buy bread. The man alleged that a local man who is a sanitation worker with the MCD abused him.

“My 22-year-old daughter who was nearby asked him not to misbehave with me. He responded by slapping my daughter and calling his friends,” the man told the police.

He alleged that soon there were 20-22 people attacking him, his wife, his five daughters and a minor granddaughter. “One of the men pulled down his pants in front of my sisters and made lewd gestures,” alleged the elderly man’s son.

When the family tried lock themselves in their house, the attackers allegedly broke open the door and barged inside to assault the family once more. “The attackers were armed with knives, bats, hockey sticks and rods,” said the son, adding that the attack left five members of his family with injuries.

“When we went to the police station, the police turned us away. An FIR was registered only on Friday evening when someone known to us approached the senior police officers,” alleged the man.

But the DCP said that the “unwillingness of some women members of the family” to seek legal action was what had delayed the FIR. “The moment they gave us a go ahead, we registered a case and arrested one of the suspects,” said the DCP.