An intoxicated man sexually assaulted a woman in full public view on a major street in Visakhapatnam, India as several people filmed the incident callously without bothering to help.
The horrifying incident occurred in New Railway Colony around 2:30 pm on Sunday. An auto-rickshaw driver filmed the episode on his phone and sent it to the police. However, he didn’t intervene and help the distressed woman.
Authorities arrested the accused, Ganji Siva, 23, a truck-cleaner in the evening and he was sent to two weeks of judicial remand after being produced in court on Monday.
Visakhapatnam IV town police sub-inspector K Suresh told Hindustan Times that the 43-year-old woman fled from her home after an argument. “Apparently, she was very weak as she had not eaten for several hours and was sleeping on the footpath under the shadow of a tree, when Siva, in an inebriated condition assaulted her sexually,” he said.
Not a single eye-witness tried to stop the incident. The woman was too weak to defend herself or shout for help as she had not consumed food for several hours.
“Instead, some of them were more interested in capturing the incident on their mobile phones. After some time, an auto driver, RG Srinu, shot a short video of it and brought it to our notice,” Suresh added.
Siva had left the spot by the time police authorities reached and they were able to trace him after questioning local people. The survivor was sent to King George Hospital where she underwent a medical examination.
The incident has sent shockwaves throughout the country. It is especially alarming to note the apathy displayed by the people present who could have easily prevented the assault and rushed to the woman’s aid, taking Siva to task and handing him over to the police. The accused was even allowed to flee from the spot on his bike after he committed the crime.
Authorities who looked at the footage expressed shock and said that while the police control room received at least six phone calls from witnesses at the time of the attack, no one stepped up to stop the incident.
The video is a grim reflection of our times and a reminder that we need to fight harder than ever to preserve our humanity in a world filled with chaos and darkness.