Paharganj Holi case: Juvenile among 4 held for harassing Japanese woman in Delhi

Delhi Police has apprehended three boys, including one juvenile, in relation to the incident of harassment during Holi.

According to the police, search for those boys was carried out after a video went viral across social media platforms in which a Japanese woman was being harassed by a group of boys purportedly on the pretext of applying colours on her during Holi.

“The boys seen in the video have been identified after meticulous efforts through field officers and local intelligence. Three boys including one juvenile have been apprehended and enquired. They have confessed/admitted about the incident/happening seen in the video,” Delhi Police said in a statement.

The incident took place in Delhi’s Paharganj area and the video was first posted by the woman on Twitter which was later deleted. According to her latest tweet, she is currently in Bangladesh and is ‘fit in her mind and body’.

According to the statement, the woman has not made any complaint neither to Delhi Police nor to the Japanese embassy.

Action under the Delhi Police Act has been initiated against those apprehended. “Further legal action will be decided on merits and in accordance with the complaint by the girl, if any,” it said.

Bollywood actor Richa Chadha and Delhi Commission for Women chief Swati Maliwal are among those who reacted to the video and called it a ‘completely shameful behaviour’. National Commission for Woman chairperson Rekha Sharma had earlier written to Delhi Police to ‘immediately file FIR in the matter’.

“Sickening. The woman has to send a notice to NCW,” tweeted National Commission for Women member and BJP leader Khushbu Sundar.

In the viral video, the men groped her and smeared colours on her. One man even smashed an egg on her head. The woman, as seen in the video, found it hard to leave the gang of men. But she continued saying ‘bye’ ‘bye’ in an attempt to exit that group. She smiled once on the camera and as one of the men again touched her, she slapped him and left the place.