Video: Screams, cries for help as men strike Delhi woman flower seller with sticks

CCTV footage shows a group of men approaching a flower seller, engaging in an altercation and repeatedly striking her with wooden sticks.

In Short

• Group of men seen striking woman with wooden sticks beside her flower stall
• No PCR call or written complaint reached Hauz Khas police station so far
• Police deploys team to identify and trace accused men seen in the video

A video showing a group of men allegedly assaulting a woman selling flowers at a market in south Delhi has gone viral on social media, prompting police to launch an investigation and attempt to identify those involved. The incident reportedly took place in Gautam Nagar, near the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), police said.

While no formal complaint has been lodged reporting the assault, the police have taken cognisance of the incident on the basis of the video being circulated on social media and have launched a probe into the matter.

The footage, captured on a CCTV camera installed nearby, shows a woman seated beside heaps of flowers and garlands when a group of men approaches her.

An altercation soon follows, with the men seen moving around the stall and striking the woman with wooden sticks. The woman falls on the ground amid the flowers as the assault continues.

Other people apparently sleeping in the vicinity are seen waking up due to the noise and the woman’s screams for help during the episode. Another man, seemingly the woman's aide, is seen trying to intervene, but he is attacked and thrashed as well.

The video has been widely shared on X, drawing attention to the attack.

The South District Police issued a press note on the matter, clarifying that no PCR call or written complaint had been received at Hauz Khas police station so far.

"Nevertheless, based on social media inputs, the matter has been taken cognisance of, and a police team has been deployed to identify and trace the persons involved in the incident," the press note said.

Police said strict legal action would be taken against those found involved, in accordance with the law. The department also said that further updates would be shared as the inquiry progresses.

The absence of a formal complaint has not prevented the police from initiating action, with the viral footage serving as the basis for taking cognisance of the incident.

Investigators are now working to establish the circumstances leading up to the assault and identify the men seen in the video.

The identities of the woman and the attackers have not been officially disclosed.

Further details, including whether a formal complaint is subsequently filed and whether the suspects are traced, are awaited by the police.

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Inputs by Ashutosh Kumar