‘Even helping is a crime these days’: Mother of man thrashed for resisting harassment in south Delhi

“Even helping someone is a crime these days,” lamented the mother of a 26-year-old man who was left with severe head injuries after he tried to stop a group of men from harassing women in Mehrauli area of Delhi.

Sarvesh, whose son Mukesh is battling multiple injuries at the AIIMS Trauma Centre, said the family is traumatised by the brutality of the attack that occurred in the early hours of February 3. He was returning from a wedding when he intervened to protect a group of women at a tea stall, only to be struck down and thrashed by four men.

“Even helping someone in this day and age is a crime because my son tried to help and he got so badly injured,” Sarvesh told PTI on Thursday. “If someone had not stopped those people, they would have killed him. He has injuries all over his body. Those women and the man saved him and took him to hospital.”

Mukesh, a resident of Sangam Vihar, was returning from his maternal uncle’s wedding at 5 am when stopped for a tea and noticed a group of men allegedly harassing two to three women nearby.

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“I asked those people to not do such things and told them it is not good to eve-tease women. That’s all I said,” he told PTI. The intervention was met with immediate and disproportionate violence.

According to Mukesh, one of the men struck him on the head with a stone-like object, knocking him unconscious. The assault continued as he lay on the ground, but further escalation was prevented by a bystander.

“One Muslim man saved me from further assault. I am very thankful to him… I would have lost my life if he didn’t intervene,” he said.

The women he defended also stayed at the spot, calling the Police Control Room and ensuring he reached the hospital.

A case has been registered at the Mehrauli police station under sections pertaining to attempt to commit culpable homicide, insulting the modesty of a woman, wrongful restraint and common intention. The investigation was prompted by a statement from one of the women and a video of the assault that surfaced online.

The video shows four men assaulting the victim near a lamp post. The group is seen slapping, kicking and punching the man before dragging him by his shirt while hurling abuses.

At one point, an assailant picked up a brick and charged towards the victim. However, a bystander intervened and snatched the brick away. The accused then pushed the bystander aside, saying, “Tu janta hai mai kon hun” (Do you know who I am?). The video ends with Mukesh lying unconscious on the road.

The Delhi Police has arrested the four men — Vishal Rawat (26), Jatin (20), Sonu (25) and Vivek (20) — in connection with the case. The arrests were made after an analysis of CCTV footage and local verification, said a senior police officer.