“Watching And Laughing”: Two Women Assaulted, Clothes Torn After Morning Tea Stop In Delhi’s Nehru Place

A quiet Sunday morning outing for tea in Delhi's Nehru Place turned into a traumatic experience for two women after they were allegedly harassed, assaulted and molested by a group of men in public. The incident, which took place on May 10 around 7 am outside a hotel near a tea stall, has sparked outrage after videos recorded by the victims surfaced online and police arrested four accused.

The women, one from Assam and the other from Bihar, alleged that the attack escalated after they objected to catcalling and derogatory remarks made by a group of men.

Women Say Harassment Escalated Into Physical Assault

According to the complaint filed with police, the women were sitting at a tea stall when two men allegedly removed their shirts and started making offensive comments at them. One of the women told ANI, "We confronted them about it. Afterwards, we moved further away and sat down quietly."

However, the situation reportedly worsened soon after. The men allegedly returned with more people and began provoking and physically attacking the women. One of the victims alleged that she was molested and her clothes were torn during the assault.

"Those men came really close to us, and when my friend pushed him, one of them slapped her," one of the women recounted.

The victims also alleged that racist slurs were hurled at them during the attack and that they were assaulted with a bamboo stick while trying to escape from the spot.

Videos Recorded By Victims Help Police Investigation

Police said videos recorded by the women played a key role in identifying the accused. One of the clips, around two minutes long, allegedly shows the men abusing the women while appearing to be intoxicated.

According to a police officer, the footage also captured one of the accused reacting to being filmed. "In the footage, one of the men can be heard saying, 'Bhai ye toh video bana rahi hai, kya karey?' (She is making a video, what should I do?) Following which, abusive language was used," the officer said.

Investigators also examined CCTV footage from the area and questioned eight individuals during the probe.

Victims Allege Bystanders Did Not Help

The women claimed that several people witnessed the incident but no one came forward to intervene. According to them, some bystanders were allegedly "watching and laughing" while the assault unfolded.

"My blood pressure dropped because of the aggression and stress. We were also on our periods at that time and were already uncomfortable," one of the women told PTI.

One of the victims further claimed that harassment from some of the accused had allegedly happened in the past as well. "They tried to harass me many times, but I never gave those people any attention. Since my friends were not present there on that particular day, they took advantage of the situation. The local police do not patrol the area at night," she said.

The women also alleged that they continued feeling unsafe even after police intervention, claiming the accused kept following them.

"I Want To Feel Safe": Victims Speak About Trauma

Days after the incident, the women said they were still struggling emotionally and physically.

"I haven't been able to eat or sleep since the incident. My entire body is in pain. I'm worried about my mental health," one of them told PTI.

The woman from Assam said the incident has left her questioning women's safety despite her confidence in speaking up. "I am bold, and I want to continue being bold, but I also want to feel safe. I am able to speak up, but there are many girls who cannot. What will happen to them? That is why I want safety," she added.

Four Arrested, Case Registered Under Multiple BNS Sections

Police said both women were taken to AIIMS for medical examination after officers reached the scene. A case was registered at Kalkaji Police Station under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including voluntarily causing hurt, assault or criminal force against a woman with intent to outrage modesty, wrongful restraint, criminal intimidation, stalking and common intention.

Following the investigation, four accused were arrested. Police identified them as Md Fahad, a computer operator at a private institute; Md Savej, a contract worker and former club bouncer; Md Arif, who works at a mobile store in Noida; and Aman alias Mohd Faheem alias Kala, a resident of Jamia Nagar.