DCW chief Swati Maliwal dragged by car for 10-15 metres, man arrested

New Delhi: Delhi Commission for Women Chairperson Swati Maliwal on Thursday said she was dragged by a car for 10-15 metres outside AIIMS when her hand got stuck in the vehicle's window and its inebriated driver drove on.

The incident happened 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, who were stationed at some distance from her.

Maliwal said the car stopped in front of her outside AIIMS gate number 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.

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 man 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 Mubarak Pur based on a complaint from the DCW chief.

"Last night, I was inspecting the situation of women safety in Delhi. A car driver, in an inebriated condition, harassed me and when I caught hold of him, he grabbed my hand in the car window and dragged me. God saved my life. If the chairperson of the women's commission is not safe in Delhi, one can then imagine the situation," 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 cognizance of the matter. The Commission is seeking report from @DelhiPolice and writing to take strict action against the accused," it said in a tweet.

NCW chairperson Rekha Sharma tweeted, "Shocking incident. NCW is seeking report from Delhi Police and writing for strict action against the perpetrator."