Three people, including a juvenile, were arrested after a video surfaced on social media showing a group of men allegedly harassing and groping a Japanese woman on Holi, police said on Saturday.
The video showed a group of men smearing paint on a stranger who appeared uncomfortable. It also showed one of the men smashing an egg against her head. In the video, she can be heard saying ”bye bye”.
According to the police, the video is from Holi (celebrated on March 8) and was shot in the Paharganj area here.
The girl in the video is a Japanese tourist who was staying in Paharganj and left for Bangladesh on Friday, they added.
The girl did not lodge any complaint or call the Delhi Police or her country’s embassy, as confirmed by an embassy official in an email reply, a senior police officer said.
Police said on Friday that they have taken note of the video and are verifying whether it is a recent incident or an old one.
The people in the video have been identified. Three people, including a juvenile, were detained and questioned. They admitted their involvement in the incident, as seen in the video. All are residents of the nearby Paharganj area, said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central) Sanjay Kumar Sain.
The girl tweeted from her twitter address that she had arrived in Bangladesh and was mentally and physically fit.
Police said action under the Delhi Police Act has been initiated against the accused. However, further legal steps will be decided on the merits and in accordance with the girl’s possible complaint, they added.
Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chairperson Swati Maliwal said she has issued a notice to the Delhi Police to investigate the video and arrest the perpetrators.
”Very disturbing videos going viral on social media showing sexual harassment with foreign nationals on Holi! I am issuing a notice to the Delhi Police to investigate these videos and arrest the perpetrators! Absolutely disgraceful behaviour!” Maliwal tweeted on Friday.
The National Commission for Women also took note of the video and asked the Delhi Police to register an FIR in the matter.
”@NCWIndia took note. Chairman @sharmarekha has written to @CPDelhi to file an FIR in this matter immediately. NCW also sought a fair and time-bound investigation into the matter. The detailed report must be brought to the attention of the commission,” NCW tweeted.
