2 men chase woman journalist from Noida to Lajpat Nagar, arrested
Two men were arrested for stalking a journalist in Noida, breaking her car window during a 20km chase; police are investigating past incidents.
Two men have been arrested for allegedly chasing and stalking a 39-year-old journalist for nearly 20km from Noida to Lajpat Nagar around 1am on Friday, police said. The accused also allegedly broke a window of the woman’s car.
Deputy commissioner of police (south east) Hemant Tiwari said that the accused was identified as Shubham, who goes by one name, and DeepakLal, alias Deepu, both residents of Dabri in south west Delhi. Both men, police said, have previously been booked under the Arms Act.
According to police, the woman, who works as a producer with a private news channel, was travelling to her home in Vasant Kunj from the office in Noida at around 12.45am. On the Mahamaya Flyover, she allegedly overtook a scooter. The duo allegedly began following her vehicle and tried to confront her on the road.
Realising the potential danger, the woman chose not to stop, driving till Lajpat Nagar Flyover, where she pulled over and called the police at 1:27 am. “She displayed a remarkable presence of mind and drove towards a safer area instead of engaging with them,” said Tiwari.
In the FIR, accessed by HT, the woman said that when she slowed down the vehicle on the way, the men started thumping their hands on the car’s window, aggressively asking her to open the door. However, she sped away. On DND flyway, she said the accused pulled something out of their bags and threw it at the car, shattering the rear window.
The woman said that the accused chased her till Gupta Market in Lajpat Nagar after which they fled. She then stopped and waited for the police. “The men abused me and made obscene gestures,” she further alleged in the FIR.
Police said that a PCR unit from Lajpat Nagar police station reached the spot to assist her. However, it was later established that the incident had occurred within the jurisdiction of the Sun Light Colony police station, where a formal case was registered under sections 324(4) (mischief), 126(2)(wrongful restraint), 79 (insulting modesty of woman), and 3(5) (common intention) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
DCP Tiwari said that teams were constituted to identify and trace the suspects. CCTV footage from multiple stretches of the route, including the Mahamaya and Lajpat Nagar flyovers, was closely examined. With the help of local intelligence, both accused were identified and apprehended by late Friday morning.
“The rapid coordination between PCR units and local police ensured not only the safety of the complainant but also the timely apprehension of the suspects,” Tiwari said.
Police officials said the accused are being interrogated to determine whether they have been involved in similar incidents in the past.
