One Kanwariya Arrested for Vandalising, Toppling Car in West Delhi After Video Goes Viral

New Delhi: Delhi Police on Thursday arrested one of the Kanwariyas who was involved in vandalising a car in west Delhi after the driver allegedly brushed one of them.

The police said that the accused, Rahul Bose, was picked up from Meerut in western UP and promised that more arrests would be made in the next 48 hours.

Cops said that 26-year-old Bose is a resident of Uttam Nagar in west Delhi and has been arrested previously for a case of theft.

The incident took place on Tuesday on a stretch of busy road near Moti Nagar metro station causing a traffic snarl and forcing some of the terrified commuters to take a detour.

According to police, the grey i10 car was being driven by a woman, who was with a male friend, when the car allegedly hit a Kanwariya.

A heated argument ensued between the two sides and it was alleged that one of Kanwariyas was slapped by the woman after he grabbed the male friend’s collar.

Following this, the Kanwariyas damaged the vehicle with sticks in full view of two cops, who stood there watching helplessly as the 50-strong mob attacked the vehicle with sticks.

A video of the incident, captured by a CCTV camera installed at a nearby shop, showed the Kanwariyas breaking the car's windshields, windows and headlights with sticks and rods even as a policeman watched.

The rampage came to a halt only after the mob had overturned the car in the middle of the road. They were also planning to set the car on fire, but stopped on seeing a contingent of 80 policeman coming from the nearest police station.

The couple had fled the scene fearing for their lives and refused to give any complaint in writing, police said, adding that the CCTV footage of the incident was recovered.

On the basis of enquiries conducted by the police and available CCTV footage, a case was registered, they added.

Several commuters who had witnessed the rampage from close quarters expressed their fear and rued the lack of policing in the national capital.

"I was scared after seeing the Kanwariyas vandalising the car. I had to attend an important meeting but decided to postpone it," said Sonia Jha, a commuter.

Mithilesh Singh, who saw the entire drama unfold from a few feet away had to cancel his visit to the hospital to see his ailing uncle. "It was a terrifying experience... I had to cancel my plan and return home," he said.