Delhi women’s panel chief dragged by car for 10-15 metres, accused arrested

In a shocking incident, Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) Chairperson Swati Maliwal was reportedly dragged by a car for 10-15 metres outside the AIIMS when her hand got stuck in the vehicle’s window and its inebriated driver drove on.

The incident occurred in the early hours of the day when the DCW chief was out to inspect the state of women security in Delhi along with her team that was stationed at some distance from her. Maliwal said the car stopped in front of her outside AIIMS Gate No. 2 and the driver asked her to get in. On being refused, he drove past her only to come back a second time and ask her again to board the vehicle. This time, Maliwal said, she approached the vehicle from the driver side window to reprimand the man, but he quickly rolled up the glass pane, trapping her hand in it, and then drove on for 10-15 metres.

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Vehicle tracked, accused apprehended

Police officials said a patrol vehicle spotted her on the pavement opposite AIIMS around 3.05 am and stopped to enquire if she was in distress. Maliwal narrated her ordeal, following which the vehicle was tracked down and its driver, 47-year-old Harish Chandra of South Delhi’s Sangam Vihar, apprehended, they said.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) Chandan Chowdhary said a case was registered under IPC sections 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 341 (wrongful restraint), 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) and 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) and section 185 of the Motor Vehicles Act at Kotla Mubarakpur, based on a complaint from the DCW chief.

‘Women’s panel chief not safe’

“If the chairperson of the women’s commission is not safe in Delhi, one can imagine the situation of other women,” Maliwal wrote on Twitter in Hindi.

The National Commission for Women has sought a report from the Delhi Police on the matter. “@NCWIndia has taken cognisance of the matter. The Commission is seeking report from @DelhiPolice and writing to take strict action against the accused,” it said in a tweet.