New Delhi: The Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) has taken proactive action after a video circulated on social media, depicting an alleged incident of sexual harassment by a passenger on a flight from Delhi to Mumbai.
The incident, which reportedly occurred on SpiceJet Flight No. 157 on August 16, 2023, involved the passenger attempting to capture inappropriate photographs of a female cabin crew member and another female co-passenger.
Swati Maliwal, the head of DCW, conveyed through X (previously known as Twitter) that the commission has issued notices to both the Delhi Police and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) concerning the matter. The DCW's notice emphasised the gravity of the issue, stating, "It is alleged in the viral video that a passenger was trying to click obscene pictures of a woman flight attendant and his woman co-passenger. It has been stated that when his mobile phone was checked, objectionable pictures of the women onboard the plane were found in his mobile."
The notice directed to the Delhi Police demanded a copy of the First Information Report (FIR) filed in relation to the incident, comprehensive information about the arrested suspect, and a detailed report outlining the actions taken thus far. The commission also stipulated that if the alleged perpetrator had not been apprehended, the police must provide explanations for this course of action.
Similarly, the DGCA received a notice that sought comprehensive information regarding the measures taken against the accused passenger.
The DCW also inquired whether the incident had been reported to the Internal Complaint Committee as mandated by the Sexual Harassment at Workplace Act or any other relevant committee. The commission explicitly requested reasoning if these actions were not carried out.
The DCW set an August 23 deadline for both the Delhi Police and the aviation regulatory body to furnish the requested details, underscoring the urgency and significance of addressing such incidents promptly and efficiently.