Activist 'Assaulted' For Protesting Illegal Liquor Trade

A volunteer of the Delhi Commission for Women was beaten and paraded naked on Thursday night (Dec 7), allegedly for condemning illegal liquor trade in Narela area of the capital. DCW chief, Swati Maliwal, strongly condemned the act by the people who were reportedly selling alcohol openly in their houses.

The woman is an activist and also volunteers with DCW on its projects. On Thursday night, she along with Maliwal and a few other volunteers were taking a night patrol to uncover illegally-run liquor outlets. This is when a few people came together and started assaulting her, she said in a video that has gone viral.

The activist said, "They threatened us and said that what they did to me, they will do to Maliwal also. They took Swati's address and threatened her to parade her naked on the roads."

She mentioned that the goons had beaten her with iron roads.

"It is shameful to write off this incident as a quarrel between women! She has been assaulted by same people who were selling liquor openly in their house yesterday night. She and entire DCW team had been threatened by those criminals of dire consequences," said DCW in a statement

It added that this is not the first time that the activist bore the brunt of protesting against illegal liquor trade.

"The fact that her clothes were torn and she was paraded naked cannot be recorded in any Medico Legal Case (MLC). As it is, the hospital where MLC was done has referred her to LNJP hospital and has kept her under observation," said DCW official in the statement.

The commission has also criticized the police for not taking any action against the assailants. It said, "Police Maalkhana is opposite the house where illicit liquor was being sold. In fact upon being questioned, the lady selling the liquor has herself stated on record that 'everyone knows the functioning of the police'."

As the incident gained traction on social media, the Delhi Police tweeted that the investigation is underway. They also told HT that the women's clothes were 'torn a little' in the fight. They also stated that none of the attackers were men.

CM Arvind Kejriwal also commented on the incident and said it is "utterly shocking and shameful".

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