South Delhi DCP Atul Thakur on Wednesday, 25 September, said that the attack on a woman journalist in South Delhi’s Chittaranjan Park is being investigated and multiple suspects are being questioned.
“Teams are verifying some suspects in NCR. Multiple CCTVs were obtained and analysed. Senior officers visited spot and are personally supervising the investigation,” Thakur said.
While travelling in an auto in South Delhi’s Chittaranjan park, a journalist, Joymala Bagchi, was attacked by two miscreants on Sunday evening, who managed to snatch her phone and flee the scene.
When she resisted, she was pulled out of the auto that left her with multiple injuries, the police said.
Bagchi was profusely bleeding when the locals came to the rescue.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday said the incident was “very unfortunate and saddening,” according to ANI.
“I hope the culprits get the strictest punishment,” Kejriwal said, adding that a collective effort is needed to reduce the incidence of crime in Delhi.
The journalist, who works for news agency ANI, has been hospitalised at AIIMS where she is being treated for multiple fractures including a wounded jaw.
‘As a Journalist, I Am Appalled’
Recounting the incident, Bagchi said, “I had gone for shopping near CR park and was returning back at around 6 pm in an auto when two bike-borne miscreants came close to my auto while the traffic was moving slowly. They dragged me out of the moving auto. Then they snatched my phone and sped away,” ANI reported.
She further said, “As a journalist, I am appalled. Where are the CCTV cameras? I was attacked in broad daylight. What if a speeding car had hit me? Is this how unsafe the capital is? Today morning I got to know that there is no CCTV footage of the incident and so far no lead. Two snatchers are so well acquainted with the city that they know which part of the city has no CCTV cameras.”
She asked if journalists will get justice they deserve. “If the ones who have power to highlight such incidents do not feel safe, imagine the plight of the ordinary citizens,”she said.
A special team of police has been formed to nab the accused who are looking for the thieves. The CCTV footage from the area shows two bike-borne assailants.
‘The System Fails Women & Children’
Meanwhile, the Delhi Commission For Women (DCW) on Tuesday issued notice to police seeking details of the investigation, PTI reported.
DCW Chief Swati Maliwal also met the journalist at AIIMS, where she is undergoing treatment.
“The recovery is slow and the trauma is quite a bit because it happened in an instant and in an unexpected manner. The physical hurt is quite a bit,” Maliwal told PTI .
“She is finding it difficult but will recover as she's a strong woman,” the DCW chief said.
“The system fails women and children,” Maliwal said, and appealed to the Centre to make laws pertaining to such incidents stricter.
“Police are yet to make any arrests in the case. Snatching cases have gone up. We will be writing to the Centre to make laws pertaining to snatching harsher and it should be made a non-bailable offence so that there is fear among the perpetrators,” she added.
The panel has sought a copy of the FIR, details of steps taken by the police to identify and arrest the accused and copy of the CCTV footage related to the incident.
The DCW has sought a detailed status report on the investigation in the matter. The police have been given time till 28 September to respond to the notice.
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