Man held for molestation after video shows scribe fighting back at metro station

Delhi police were able to identify the accused from the CCTV footage, using which they tracked him down.

Delhi Police has arrested a 25-year-old man for molesting two women, including a journalist, at ITO Metro station in central Delhi.

A grab from the CCTV footage of the incident at the ITO Metro station. (Photo: Video grab)

The man, who sells tea near the station, allegedly molested the journalist and another woman within a span of 15 minutes. CCTV footage from the station shows the journalist fighting off the accused and chasing him before he runs away.

The incident happened around 9.30pm on Tuesday when the complainant entered the station from Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg. She told the police that he touched her inappropriately and when she confronted him, he apologised. But he turned and allegedly groped her again and hit her before escaping. She also told the police that he might have been drunk at that time.

Another female passenger had also complained around the same time about being molested and the description she gave matched that of the accused, a police official said.

An FIR was registered under Section 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) of Indian Penal Code and the accused, Akhilesh, was arrested on Thursday from his tea shop. Pankaj Singh, DCP Metro, said the accused could be seen in the footage from a CCTV camera and five teams were formed to identify and track him down. They reportedly interrogated more than 5,000 people over two days.

The accused is likely to be produced before a court on Friday. The ITO Metro station is 50-metre away from the police headquarters.

(The video has been published with the report keeping in mind that it does not reveal the identity of the complainant.)