Nagaland woman alleges she was pulled towards a car during a late-night clash at a Delhi hotel. (Img: X)
New Delhi: A 28-year-old woman from Nagaland has alleged that three men tried to pull her towards a car at a five-star hotel in Delhi's Chanakyapuri in the early hours of October 4. The case has now escalated into a criminal investigation, with all three accused arrested and CCTV, medical and other evidence being examined.
The Delhi Police confirmed on Wednesday that it has arrested three persons in connection with the alleged kidnapping of a 28-year-old woman from Nagaland in the wee hours of October 4.
The woman alleged that three men attempted to forcibly take her and her female friend into a car at a five-star hotel in Delhi's Chanakyapuri area, following which her friends were allegedly assaulted when they intervened.
The incident reportedly took place at around 3.30 am on October 4 near the hotel's exit area. According to the complaint, the woman and her friend were returning from the washroom when three men travelling in a white Mercedes allegedly approached them and tried to stop and pull them towards the vehicle.
The incident has triggered fresh concerns over women's safety in Delhi's late-night hospitality spaces, particularly after the woman's complaint alleged that her friends were attacked when they intervened.
According to the woman's complaint, she and a female friend had stepped towards the parking area near the hotel's exit gate at around 3.30 am when three men in a vehicle allegedly approached them.
The woman told police that one of the men pulled her towards the car and that she and her friend were allegedly being forced towards the vehicle. Her male friends reportedly intervened after seeing the confrontation.
The situation then allegedly turned violent, with the woman's complaint stating that her friends were attacked with hockey sticks and an iron rod or gear-lock-type object. Delhi Police reached the spot after receiving a PCR call about a fight. Officers found a large crowd and two groups involved in an argument.
Police sources have indicated that the confrontation may have started with a dispute over loud music in the hotel parking area. The three men were allegedly sitting inside their vehicle and playing loud music when the woman and her friends approached the parking area. What began as an argument reportedly escalated into a physical confrontation.
However, police are yet to establish the complete sequence of events. Investigators are examining CCTV footage and statements from people present at the location to determine how the dispute developed and who was responsible for each alleged act.
The complainant has alleged that her male friends were assaulted when they tried to intervene. According to the complaint, the men allegedly used hockey sticks and a hard object described as a gear lock or iron rod during the assault. One of the woman's friends reportedly suffered injuries to his teeth.
Medical examinations were conducted at Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital. Police records indicate that medical findings varied among those involved, with some individuals having no fresh external injuries while other reports recorded injuries, swelling or tenderness. Investigators are now comparing the medical evidence with witness accounts and CCTV footage as part of the effort to reconstruct the incident.
The woman has also alleged that the three men appeared to be intoxicated at the time of the incident. She further claimed that the vehicle's number plate had been removed, which she suspected was an attempt to conceal its identity. Police are examining this allegation along with the other claims made in the complaint.
The woman also alleged that the men tried to leave after police arrived and that their vehicle was allegedly driven in a way that put people at the scene at risk. These claims remain allegations and are being verified as part of the ongoing investigation.
Delhi Police initially said the three accused had joined the investigation while officers tried to establish the sequence of events. The latest update from police states that all three men have now been arrested in connection with the case. The accused have reportedly denied several allegations during questioning.
Their exact individual roles will be determined based on the evidence collected during the investigation, including CCTV recordings, medical reports, witness statements and electronic evidence.
The case was registered at Chanakyapuri police station under Sections 115(2), 126(2) and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. The Sections invoked in the FIR relate to causing hurt, wrongful restraint and acts committed by several people with a common intention.
Police said the FIR was based on the PCR call, the circumstances found at the spot, medical examination reports and the woman's complaint. The investigation is now focused on establishing whether the evidence supports the allegations of assault, wrongful restraint and an attempted abduction, and on determining the legal responsibility of each accused.
CCTV footage from the hotel and surrounding areas is expected to play a crucial role in the investigation. Police are examining recordings to establish the movements of the woman, her friends and the accused before, during and after the confrontation. Investigators are also examining mobile phones and other material seized during the probe.
A white hatchback belonging to the woman's group has also been seized by police. The reason for taking possession of that vehicle has not been fully clarified. Police have also reportedly preserved blood samples from people belonging to both groups as part of the investigation.
The complainant has expressed fear for her safety following the incident and has sought strict action against those allegedly involved. Her case has attracted attention beyond the immediate criminal investigation because it involves allegations of a woman being forcibly pulled towards a vehicle and an ensuing assault at a prominent hotel in one of Delhi's high-profile areas.
The incident has also brought the issue of safety for women from Northeast India into focus, although investigators have not established that the alleged confrontation was motivated by the woman's regional identity.
The Chanakyapuri incident comes amid continuing public concern over women's safety in Delhi, particularly in areas with late-night entertainment, hotels and other hospitality establishments. The case also highlights the importance of CCTV surveillance, emergency response systems and security arrangements in hotel parking areas, especially during late-night hours.
For investigators, the key questions now are whether the CCTV footage supports the woman's account, what triggered the physical confrontation, whether there was an attempt to force anyone into the vehicle and what role each accused allegedly played. The police probe is continuing, and the final sequence of events will depend on the evidence collected during the investigation and subsequent legal proceedings.
