High crime rate against women, involving harassment and abuse has unfortunately been normalised in the national capital over the years. From crowded roads to public hospitals, women seem to have no safe haven. What comes as a bigger shock is that even the best of resto-bars in the national capital can’t guarantee women their basic right to safety. In an incident which took place on Saturday night at Delhi’s hip bar, Sidecar, in Greater Kailash 2 M Block market, three women have alleged verbal assault by a group of men. The case came to light after the victim narrated the incident through her Facebook account. She claimed that the abuse began soon after they asked a man from the group to not put his arm on her chair.
The woman took to social media and wrote, “Two men sat behind our table and one of them rested his arm on my chair. I moved my chair as his arm was very close to her (the woman’s friend) head. At doing this, the other man sitting with him pushed my chair very aggressively, to which I went flying ahead. We got up immediately to correct him, as to why and how could he push someone’s chair? To which, he started yelling on top of his voice. He turned around said a couple of things back and forth and the most obscene and obnoxious thing by spreading his legs and sitting inappropriately on the chair, pointing to his male part, said the following: ‘come and B*** me, f*** you’,” she wrote.
“And soon after, he lifted his right leg and put it up towards my face and stated ‘Lick my foot, you look like my maid and you all are south Delhi aunties’. This incident shook us immensely, to which, the manager sent them to the first floor of the restaurant to calm him down. Within less than five minutes, the two men had the audacity to come back and sit at the same table, which was behind us. For the next 25 minutes, the two of them sat right behind my chair and acted extremely arrogantly. So much so when (one of her friends) was taking a picture, he cheekily pouted and blew kisses in the air… The manager of the restaurant was cooperative but unfortunately not well informed about what to do in such situations. The men finally left after hearing (her friend) call the cops,” the woman wrote.
Meanwhile, the resto-bar has issued a statement on their Facebook page, responding to this incident of harassment.
Image Source: Facebook
The statement issued read, “We’re extremely sorry about the unfortunate incident that took place last night. We absolutely do not intend to ever entertain such behaviour at our establishment, or for that matter anywhere else and will do everything it takes to help those concerned and the cops. We have shared the CCTV footage of the incident, and statements, etc, and the perpetrators have been identified. The police is taking the due course of action. We are in regular touch with both the complainants and the cops and will provide any assistance required.”
The facebook post put up by the restaurant attracted all kinds of comments from people. While most of them supported the resto-bar for being cooperative, a few others questioned the delay on part of the management while the incident stretched for a span of over an hour.
Image Source: Facebook
Image Source: Facebook
Image Source: Facebook
After the victim filed an FIR, a case has been registered under section 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) of the Indian Penal Code against the accused group of men. Delhi Police has also collected CCTV footage from the bar to ascertain the identity of those involved. Police, in a statement, assured that all kind of efforts are being made to nab the accused involved in the harassment.
Featured Image: Facebook
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