Sign in

Delhi women’s panel chief dragged after confronting drunk man for lewd gestures

Swati Maliwal said she was accessing the situation of women’s security in Delhi when the driver, Harish Chandra, who was a drunk, harassed and caught hold of her

Updated on: Jan 19, 2023, 16:03:34 IST
Share
Share via
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • linkedin
  • whatsapp
Copy link
  • copy link

Delhi Commission for Women chief Swati Maliwal said a car dragged her after its driver made lewd gestures at her near New Delhi’s All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in the early hours of Thursday.

Delhi Commission for Women chief Swati Maliwal. (Twitter)
Delhi Commission for Women chief Swati Maliwal. (Twitter)

In a tweet in Hindi, Maliwal said she was assessing the situation of women’s security in Delhi when the driver, who was a drunk, harassed and caught hold of her. She said her hand got stuck in the car and she was dragged.

Maliwal said that god saved her life and added if she is not safe in Delhi, then one can imagine the situation of women’s safety.

Police identified the accused as Harish Chandra, 47, a resident of Sangam Vihar. They added he has been arrested.

Deputy commissioner of police (south) Chandan Chowdhary said a special police patrol reported that the man in a white Baleno made lewd gestures at a woman and dragged her at 3:11am.

Chowdhary added the patrol saw the woman on the pavement opposite AIIMS gate number two and stopped to inquire whether she was in distress.

Chowdhary said the woman was later identified as Maliwal, who told them the man was drunk and stopped near her. “He asked her to sit in the car with bad intentions. When she refused, he went and again came back after taking a U-turn from the service lane. He once again asked her to sit in the car.”

Chowdhary said the driver rolled up the car window and her hand got stuck when Maliwal went to confront him. “She was dragged for 10-15 metres.”

  • Hemani Bhandari
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Hemani Bhandari

    Hemani Bhandari is a Special Correspondent with Hindustan Times in New Delhi, where she reports on crime, policing, governance and social issues. With over a decade of experience in journalism, she specialises in combining on-ground reporting with evidence-based storytelling to examine the human impact of public policy, law enforcement and urban governance. Over the years, she has reported extensively on major developments in the capital, including crime investigations, civic challenges, protests, and issues affecting vulnerable communities. As a Special Correspondent, she focuses on producing exclusive investigations, enterprise stories and long-form features that go beyond daily news cycles. She has a keen interest in using public records, official data and field reporting to uncover systemic issues and present complex subjects in an accessible manner. A graduate of the Asian College of Journalism, Hemani believes in rigorous, ethical and evidence-based reporting. She is passionate about investigative journalism and continuously seeks to expand her skills in data journalism, open-source investigations and digital reporting techniques.Read More