Three held by Delhi Police for harassing, groping Japanese woman on Holi
New Delhi (PTI): Three persons, including a juvenile, were apprehended 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 colour on a foreigner, who seemed uncomfortable. It also showed one of the men smashing an egg on her head. She can be heard saying "bye bye" in the video.
According to the police, the video is of Holi (celebrated on March 8) and was shot in an area of Paharganj here.
The girl in the video is a Japanese tourist who was staying at Paharganj and departed to Bangladesh on Friday, they added.
The girl has not made any complaint, neither called Delhi Police nor her country's embassy as confirmed by the embassy official in response to an e-mail, a senior police officer said.
Police on Friday had said they have taken the notice of the video and were verifying whether it is of a recent incident or an old one.
People seen in the video have been identified. Three persons, including one juvenile, have been apprehended and questioned. They have confessed their involvement in the incident as seen in the video. They all are residents of a nearby area of Paharganj, Deputy Commissioner of Police (central) Sanjay Kumar Sain said.
The girl tweeted from her Twitter handle that she has reached Bangladesh and was fit mentally and physically.
Police said action has been initiated against the accused under the Delhi Police Act. However, further legal action will be decided on merits and in accordance with the complaint by the girl, if any, they added.
Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) Chairperson Swati Maliwal had said she was issuing a notice to Delhi Police to examine the video and arrest the perpetrators.
"Very disturbing videos getting viral on social media showing sexual harassment with foreign nationals on Holi! I am issuing notice to Delhi Police to examine these videos and arrest the perpetrators! Completely shameful behaviour!" Maliwal tweeted on Friday.
The National Commission for Women too took the notice of the video and asked Delhi Police to register an FIR in the matter.
"@NCWIndia has taken cognizance. Chairperson @sharmarekha has written to @CPDelhi to immediately file FIR in the matter. NCW has also sought a fair and time-bound investigation in the matter. A detailed report must be apprised to the commission," the NCW tweeted.
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Cong leader Prithviraj Chavan defiant after facing verbal missiles on Op Sindoor remarks
Mumbai (PTI): Despite facing criticism, senior Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan on Wednesday stood by his controversial comments that India faced a "total defeat" in aerial fight with Pakistan on the first day of Operation Sindoor on May 7.
The former Union minister refused to apologise for his comments on the Indian military operation against terror hubs in Pakistan and PoK in aftermath of massacre of tourists at Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir in April.
Talking to reporters in Pune on Tuesday, Chavan claimed India faced a "total defeat in the aerial fight (with Pakistan) on May 7 which lasted for half-an-hour".
"One may believe this or not. After that the Indian Air Force got grounded and not a single aircraft took flight that day.... be it Gwalior, Bhatinda or Sirsa, there was a possibility of aircraft being shot down, so our complete Air Force was grounded," the former Maharashtra chief minister had said.
Hitting out at Chavan, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde accused the Congress of speaking the language of Pakistan. He said questioning the military action was akin to demoralising the morale of armed forces.
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"The criticism does not stem from the love of the nation, but love for Pakistan," said the chief leader of the Shiv Sena, a key constituent of the BJP-led NDA.
Chavan, however, remained defiant.
"There is no question of apologising. The Constitution has given me the right to ask questions," the Congress veteran asserted.
Chavan also questioned the need of having a 12-lakh strong Army when future wars will be about aerial combats and missiles. "During Operation Sindoor we saw that there was no movement of the Army even for a kilometre," he had said.
BJP Lok Sabha MP and spokesperson Sambit Patra said Chavan's remarks are loaded with sedition.
"He (Chavan) has refused to apologise. The Indian armed forces struck 100 kms inside the Pakistan territory and destroyed 11 air strips (of the Pakistani Air Force). He made remarks that the Indian Army did not even move an inch (during the military operation). This is nothing but a statement full of sedition, a statement of a traitor," Patra said, lashing out at the Congress leader.
The BJP spokesperson maintained the Congress appears to be standing with Chavan and alleged the Opposition party is playing into foreign hands.
Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra should apologise for it, he added.
Union minister Giriraj Singh of the BJP insisted it was not right to devalue the valour of Indian armed forces.
Samajwadi Party MP Virendra Singh suggested that wherever armed forces are concerned, every Indian should be mindful of statements they make and ensure their comments do not demoralise the military.
Operation Sindoor was a result of "mistakes of politicians", he claimed.
TDP MP Krishna Devraylu said after the poll defeat in Bihar, the Congress is rattled and their leaders have been talking absurdly.
"Chavan's remarks are a prime example of this. This kind of disrespect to our armed forces is not necessary. If the Congress is angry with the NDA, it should show it in a different way and not drag armed forces into it," Devraylu opined.
AAP MP Ashok Mittal said such statements should not be made by any senior politician, especially by someone who has been a former chief minister.
The Indian armed forces registered a strong victory and destroyed terror launchpads in Pakistan during Operation Sindoor, Mittal added.
