Woman Alleges Misbehaviour at Noida Mall, Four Arrested Amidst Safety Concerns

A woman alleged misbehaviour by some men at a Noida mall and accused the police of bias before retracting her statement. Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav criticised the BJP-led Uttar Pradesh government over women's safety, suggesting the woman changed her statement under pressure.

The Noida police reported they arrested four men involved in the August 4 incident at Gardens Galleria mall. The woman, Anju Yadav, initially posted a video on social media claiming she was harassed while visiting the mall with her husband and brother-in-law.

Incident Details and Police Response

Anju Yadav alleged that a woman from the other group involved had relatives in the police department. She claimed, "What the men who were along with her did to me would have made any husband or brother-in-law angry and they also showed their anger and shouted at her. That woman threatened of implicating us in a police case."

In a subsequent video, Anju stated there was an altercation with another group on August 4, which escalated, leading to police intervention. Both parties reached a compromise after mutual consent. She said, "The video I posted on social media yesterday, perhaps I did that in provocation. But now we are satisfied with the action of the police."

Police Actions and Arrests

The Noida police confirmed on X that the incident involved an altercation between two groups inside a pub at Gardens Galleria mall. They stated, "Women from both parties were present on the spot. A case has been registered against both parties and an inquiry is being conducted. Fair and strict action will be taken in this matter."

On Tuesday night, police arrested four men—two from each side—as counter FIRs were lodged under relevant provisions of the law. A police spokesperson said, "It is to inform that on the night of August 4, a fight broke out between two parties at a bar in Garden Galleria. They initially reached a mutual settlement. Today, however, both parties have filed complaints against each other at the police station."

Political Reactions

Akhilesh Yadav shared Anju's first video on X, criticising the UP government. He wrote in Hindi, "This is the cry of a daughter-in-law from Noida. In UP, no sister, daughter, daughter-in-law is safe because police stations are busy fulfilling the economic targets given by the government and administration."

Later, Yadav posted another cryptic message on X, seemingly referring to Anju's change of stance: "Huqmaraan bhale apne huqm se badalwa de kisi ki zubaan par badal nahin sakti siskiyon ki gawaahi aur bayaan" (The ruler may change someone's language by his orders, but the testimony and statements of sobs cannot change).

Case Developments

The arrested individuals include Salman Ali and Hammaz from Anju's side and Keshav Sharma and Anup Shukla from the other party. Legal proceedings are ongoing as per official reports.

The incident highlights ongoing concerns about women's safety and perceived biases in handling such cases. The evolving narrative underscores complexities in addressing public grievances and ensuring justice.

The situation remains under investigation as authorities continue to process legal actions based on complaints from both sides involved in the altercation.