A bitter dispute over the operation of a gym in a residential basement culminated in a shocking episode of public violence in East Delhi's Laxmi Nagar area. The incident, which occurred on January 2, saw a man severely beaten, his wife allegedly molested, and their adult son stripped naked and assaulted on the street by a group of men.
Basement Gym Dispute Sparks Brutal Confrontation
According to the police complaint, the trouble began with a business conflict. The complainant, who owns a house in Laxmi Nagar, runs a gym in its basement. He alleged that the gym's caretaker had cheated him and was attempting to usurp the business. This ongoing tension reached a violent peak in the afternoon of January 2, between 3:00 PM and 3:30 PM.
The victim stated that he and his wife were about to go to the basement to inspect a water leakage when the caretaker, accompanied by several other men, arrived and initiated a quarrel. The argument quickly turned physical. The group of men allegedly began punching and kicking the homeowner. In the midst of the confrontation, the complainant claimed that his wife was molested by the assailants.
Son Dragged Onto Street, Stripped and Beaten
The situation took an even more horrific turn when the couple's son, hearing the commotion, came out of the house. The men allegedly caught hold of him, dragged him out onto the public street, stripped him of his clothes, and beat him brutally in full public view. The entire assault was captured by CCTV cameras, footage of which has been seized by the police from the Laxmi Nagar area.
The widely circulated CCTV footage corroborates the family's horrifying account. It shows a naked man being physically assaulted and kicked repeatedly by a group of four to five individuals. The violence only ceased after police personnel reached the spot. The victim's father later told media, "They tore my clothes and kept punching me in the face." He added with anguish, "My son's wedding is in 10 days. He was badly beaten up. I saw him lying on the road."
Aftermath and Police Action
In the wake of the traumatic event, the victim revealed that both his sons had left home and switched off their mobile phones, leaving the family distraught and unaware of their whereabouts. His wife, recounting the horror, questioned, "The way he was stripped and dragged, is this less than any form of rape?"
Acting on the complaint, the Laxmi Nagar police station registered a case under multiple sections of the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The charges include voluntarily causing hurt, wrongful restraint, criminal trespass, assault or use of criminal force to outrage a woman's modesty, acts intended to insult a woman's modesty, and criminal intimidation.
In a significant development, the police have arrested the primary accused, the gym caretaker. However, three other men involved in the alleged assault are currently absconding, and a manhunt is underway to apprehend them. The police are meticulously examining the CCTV footage to establish the exact sequence of events and identify all the perpetrators.
