In India’s capital, the cruel assassination of a 16-year-old girl in a busy public alleyway has once again raised concerns about the protection of women and the endemic violence committed against them.
Security footage from the incident, which happened on Sunday, shows the attacker repeatedly slashing and beating the victim as many bystanders stood by and did nothing. Only one person attempted to pull the attacker away, but she did so quickly.
The victim’s body was found on Sunday night in Rohini, a locality in northern Delhi, in the Shahbad Dairy area. A male suspect named Sahil was apprehended by police on Monday afternoon in connection with the murder, according to the police.
The victim’s bereaved father, Janak Raj, described the horrifying sight of his daughter laying lifeless on the ground. When spectators failed to help, he felt profound rage and grief, saying that their action might have saved her life. Raj also bemoaned the fact that some bystanders were more interested in recording the situation than in offering assistance. Raj sobbed as he described his terrible loss and wondered how to proceed. His daughter had been providing the family with financial stability by instructing.
This incident is just the most recent in a string of murders and sexual assaults that have infuriated the populace and brought attention to the urgent need for better safety regulations for women in India.
Arvind Kejriwal, the chief minister of Delhi, expressed his regret and worry on Twitter and emphasized the need for more aggressive police action to make criminals fearful. The episode, according to Swati Maliwal, chair of the Delhi Commission for Women, was “deeply unsettling” and “highlighted the growing sense of insecurity faced by women and girls in Delhi.”
