South Delhi club brawl: Woman alleges bouncers misbehaved, tore off clothes & touched her inappropriately

Delhi: Police have registered a case based on a complaint from a woman that she was misbehaved with, her clothes torn off and she was also touched inappropriately by two bouncers of a private club in South Extension of Delhi. The woman alleged that her friends were also beaten up in the brawl.

The club owner, however, refuted the allegations. The owner accused the Delhi Police personnel of mentally and physically harassing him apart from being falsely implicated in the case for not paying 'extortion' money, reported news agency IANS.

The incident took place on the intervening night of September 17 and 18, according to police.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Chandan Chowdhary said that a PCR call was received at the KM Pur police station about the incident of misbehaviour and tearing off the clothes of a woman at 'Da Code' club in South Extension. Following this, police reached the spot and met the caller. A video of the incident of the woman getting into an altercation with the bouncers has surfaced on social media.

“When the police reached the spot, they found that the woman caller's clothes were messed up and disordered, and on inquiry, she told that her clothes were torn by two bouncers and their manager of the club. She further informed that she was misbehaved and hit by them, and they had also touched her inappropriately," the DCP said as quoted by IANS.

Police took the victim woman to AIIMS Trauma Centre and accordingly, registered an FIR under sections 323 (Punishment for voluntarily causing hurt), 354 A (Sexual harassment and punishment for sexual harassment), 354 B (Assault or use of criminal force to woman with intent to disrobe), 509 (Word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code and began an investigation into the incident.

Chowdhary further said that the complainant was examined in the case, who had informed that she had come to the club along with her friends to party. However, an argument over entry into the club, and they were subsequently thrashed by the bouncers.

The officer said that the incident is being investigated and CCTV cameras installed in and around the club and other neighbouring showrooms are being examined. "The details of the bouncers have been taken from the club and efforts are being made to arrest the real culprits," the DCP said as quoted by IANS.

The complainant's statement was also recorded before the Concerned Magistrate at Saket Court Complex, said the DCP.

Again on September 24, another controversy involving the club emerged as seven of its people were detained after they allegedly tried to stop the officials of Delhi Police who visit the club after a complaint of quarrel and loud music was lodged against it.

DCP Chowdhary said, "A PCR call was received at KM Pur police station at 12.02 am on September 24. The caller informed that some quarrel has taken place with bouncers of the club and DJ is being played.”

When the police reached the spot and tried to enter the 'Da Code' club, the bouncers tried to stop them. "Hence, seven persons were detained and booked under sections 107 and 151 of the Code of Criminal Procedure," the DCP added.

The police also seized an amplifier that was being used to play the music at the club.

DCP Chandan Chowdhary also shared details of a three-year-old old case of the club in which an FIR was registered against five people, including the bar owner and his son, based on a complaint lodged by an Excise Department Inspector. The DCP said three years ago in 2019 when the Excise Staff came to conduct a raid in the club, they were assaulted and confined in the bar for several hours by the owner and his staff.

"The Excise Staff was released from the club when the local police reached there and intervened in the matter. Hence, the club owner, his son, and staff were also charge-sheeted in the case," the DCP added as reported by IANS.

However, the owner of the club, Surendra Singh Chowdhary, came up with a completely different angle of the story.

In a letter to the Special Commissioner of Police (Law and order), he accused the local police personnel of demanding Rs 5 lakh extortion money every month. He further alleged that when he refused to pay the money, he was subsequently threatened by them.

Sharing the details of the September 18 incident with the woman, the club owner said that at around 1 am in the night, four boys and three girls, in an inebriated state, misbehaved with the staff of the club and when they were told to behave, the girls threatened to implicate them on false charges.

"They forcibly took Rs 1.5 lakh from the podium and then made a call to the police. When the police came, it was the same cop who had been threatening us with extortion and then he yet again threatened us of severe consequences," the club owner wrote to the Special CP as quoted by IANS.

The owner further said that the police officials came on September 18 as well and detained two of their staff members, who were trying to explain to them the previous night's incident.

"We requested the cops to investigate with the help of footage of the CCTV cameras as our club is completely under the supervision of it and the whole incident has been recorded on it,” said the club owner adding that the police kept his staff members in custody for over 22 hours and even thrashed them with belts, sticks, and shoes at regular intervals.

On the intervening night of September 23 and 24, the police again reached their bar and seized instruments worth Rs 2,53,000 as he refused to pay the extortion money, claimed the club owner.

Responding to the allegations of the club owner, DCP (south), Chowdhary said that inquiry into the allegations levelled by the club owner are also being done.