Three people, including a juvenile, were apprehended for allegedly harassing and groping a Japanese woman here on Holi, police said on Saturday.
A video of the incident, which went viral on social media, showed a group of youths smearing colour on the woman, who appeared uncomfortable. It also showed one of them smashing an egg on her head. Though the woman did not lodge a complaint, the police have taken cognisance of the video and filed a case under Section 354, which seeks to punish acts that outrage a woman’s modesty.
The video was shot on the day of Holi on March 8 in Paharganj area. The woman was staying in Paharganj and left for Bangladesh on Friday, according to police. In a series of tweets in Japanese on Saturday, the woman said that she had posted a video of the incident, but later deleted it.
“On March 9, I tweeted a video of the Indian festival Holi, but after that, the number of RTs and DMs increased more than I had imagined, and I was terrified, so I deleted the tweet. We sincerely apologise to those who were offended by the video.
“I had heard that it was very dangerous for a woman to go out alone during the daytime on Holi, an Indian festival that I participated in, so I participated in the event with a total of 35 other friends. Unfortunately, this kind of situation happened.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (central) Sanjay Kumar Sain said people seen in the video have been identified and a case has been filed under Section 354 of the Indian Penal Code.
The three people apprehended have confessed to their involvement in the incident as seen in the video. They all are residents of an area near Paharganj, he said. The officer said the accused have been bound down, which means they will have to appear before police to join the investigation whenever required.
So far, the woman has not lodged any complaint. A Japanese embassy official, in response to an email, confirmed that she has not contacted the embassy also, a senior police officer said.
The Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) and the National Commission for Women (NCW) also took cognisance of the video on Friday and asked Delhi Police to examine it and register an FIR.
Delhi Police on Twitter asked people not to share “misinformation” on social media about the number of crimes reported in the national capital on Holi.
“Some social media handles are sharing exaggerated and unfounded crime figures of Delhi pertaining to Holi festival. Spreading misinformation is legal offence… Do not share such information without verification,” it said.
3 held for groping Japanese girl on Holi in Delhi
