20-Year-Old Woman Dragged for an Hour Through Delhi Streets, Outrage Erupts

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Outrage and Call for Justice Follows 20 Year Old Woman's Gruesome Death in Delhi

The death of a 20 year old woman from Delhi, caused by a violent car collision, has provoked outrage and demands for justice. The woman had been riding her scooter home from work in the early hours of New Year's Day when her scooter and a car collided. According to reports, the car with four male passengers drove on without stopping, dragging her body for miles.

This disturbing event has shocked the country and has dominated the headlines in India, where road crash fatalities are amongst some of the highest in the world. Enduring roughly 150,000 deaths each year due to vehicular collisions, the incident has caused much distress and discomfort in the country. The woman was the sole breadwinner of her family, with her single mother in ill health.

Manish Sisodia, Delhi's Deputy Chief Minister, addressed the tragedy as an example of “extreme cruelty”. Speaking to the Indian Express, Sisodia spoke of the willful blindness of the car's passengers and driver:

“Even if a piece of polythene or a piece of paper gets stuck in a car, the driver finds out. They stop the car and check. This accident is an example of extreme cruelty ... To think that the drivers didn't realise that a woman was stuck under the car is nothing but cruelty and ignorance.”

The autopsy report revealed that the cause of her death was "shock and haemorrhage as a result of antemortem injury to the head, spine, left femur and both lower limbs". The report stated that the victim had suffered 40 "antemortem external injuries". Her family alleged that she had also been sexually assaulted prior to her death, noting her unclothed body upon discovery. Though the autopsy did not detect any evidence of sexual assault, the men allegedly involved denied knowledge of the woman's presence under their car, claiming they had their windows closed and were playing loud music. Police have charged the suspects with culpable homicide and causing death by negligence.

Police action in responding to the incident has also been called into question. Deepak Dahiya, a witness who called the police, reported that he had tried to chase the car and had called them over 20 times to convey his concerns. He further explained that he had followed the car and described it to the police, suggesting that they did not believe him or had failed to act promptly.

In response to the tragedy, hundreds of people had gone to a police station to call for justice and members of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had gathered outside the Lieutenant Governor's office, demanding his resignation. Allegedly, one of the accused was a part of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the AAP claimed that the police had tried to cover it up.

Delhi's Lieutenant Governor, Vinai Kumar Saxena, expressed his shock and horror at the "monstrous insensitivity of the perpetrators" and assured that "all aspects are being thoroughly looked into".

In India, road crash deaths are unfortunately part of a bigger, more tangible problem - the struggle for justice and accountability. In this particular instance, a family has lost a loved one to a tragedy with many unanswered questions, a bereavement that could have been avoided if the accused had stopped their car and checked for damage.

The real tragedy lies in the striking absence of accountability and justice. The incident has generated much outrage and sparked protest, yet few specific steps have been taken to ensure that justice will be served. Until then, the fate of the 20 year old woman's family and thousands of others remains uncertain.