Three men have been arrested in connection with an alleged assault and kidnapping attempt involving a 28-year-old woman from Nagaland and her friends outside a five-star hotel in Delhi’s Chanakyapuri area in the early hours of October 4, Delhi Police said on Wednesday.
The Times of India, citing police records, reported that the three men were sitting in the Mercedes and playing loud music when the woman and her friends came towards the parking area. The Times of India also reported that an official at The Ashok hotel said those involved were guests of SOHO, a separate entity and club operating from premises leased from the hotel. A PCR call about a fight brought a police team to the spot, where officers found a large crowd and two groups involved in an argument. The woman alleged that one of the men pulled her towards the vehicle. She also claimed that the accused appeared to be intoxicated and had removed the car’s number plate to conceal their identity. Police have also seized a white hatchback belonging to one of the victim’s group and mobile phones as part of the investigation. The reason for the seizure of the vehicle was not immediately clear.
The incident took place around 3.30am in the parking area near the exit gate of the hotel, according to police.
The men tried to flee after police arrived and allegedly attempted to hit them with the vehicle, according to her complaint. The woman told police that one of her male friends intervened when the men allegedly tried to pull her towards the car. The accused then allegedly attacked him with hockey sticks and punched him in the face, before assaulting two other male friends with hockey sticks and a gear lock, according to her complaint. The official said The Ashok had no connection with the incident. Police initially said the three accused had joined the investigation but had not been arrested as officers sought to establish the sequence of events. Police subsequently said all three men had been arrested in connection with the case.
One of the group allegedly objected to the loud music before the confrontation escalated.
