How safe are women in Delhi? DCW Chief Swati Maliwal dragged by drunk driver

Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chief Swati Maliwal was dragged by a car for 10-15 metres at around 3 am on Thursday, January 19. Maliwal's hand got stuck in the car's window as the driver, Harish Chandra, rolled up the glass while she was reprimanding him for teasing her. The man was asking her to sit in his car.

What happened: Police said that a PCR call was received at 3.11 am. Behind the AIIMS bus stop, the driver of a white Baleno car made obscene gestures towards a woman and then dragged her along.

Police's statement: The call was made by Garuda 1 (special patrolling vehicle in Delhi South district) to the control room. The patrol vehicle had seen a lady on the pavement opposite the AIIMS Gate number 2 in Kotla PS area and had stopped to enquire whether she was in distress, said the cops.

What Maliwal said: Maliwal told the police that a person driving the Baleno car, who was drunk, stopped near her and asked her to sit in the car. When she refused, he went away, but returned after taking a U-turn from the service lane. He began pestering her to sit in the car.

कल देर रात मैं दिल्ली में महिला सुरक्षा के हालात Inspect कर रही थी। एक गाड़ी वाले ने नशे की हालत में मुझसे छेड़छाड़ की और जब मैंने उसे पकड़ा तो गाड़ी के शीशे में मेरा हाथ बंद कर मुझे घसीटा। भगवान ने जान बचाई। यदि दिल्ली में महिला आयोग की अध्यक्ष सुरक्षित नहीं, तो हाल सोच लीजिए।

— Swati Maliwal (@SwatiJaiHind) January 19, 2023

"When I refused and went near the driver's window to reprimand him, the driver quickly rolled up the glass. My hand got stuck and I was dragged for 10-15 metres," she said.

Accused caught: The said Baleno car was apprehended by a PCR vehicle early in the morning. The driver of the vehicle and the complainant were sent for medical examination.

• A written complaint has been taken from Maliwal and an FIR vide 24/23 u/s 323/341/354/509 IPC and 185 MV Act has been registered at the PS Kotla Mubarak Pur police station.
• The accused, Harish Chandra, is a 47-year-old man from Sangam Vihar, Delhi.

The irony: The incident raises an alarm regarding the safety of women in Delhi. The National Capital is still reeling from the horrific murder of 20-year-old Anjali Singh, who was hit by a Baleno on the night of December 31, 2022, and dragged for about 15 kilometres. Singh's death sent shockwaves through the country and raised the question of women's safety in the capital once again.

The Delhi Women's Commission Chief herself having to face a situation like this, while inspecting women's safety in the capital, is ironic and shocking on multiple levels.

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