Delhi: Gym ownership dispute turns violent, man beaten, wife 'molested', son stripped in public

New Delhi: A dispute over ownership of a gym in east Delhi's Laxmi Nagar led to a clash with a man beaten, his wife allegedly molested, and their son stripped and assaulted in public, police said on Monday as they arrested one accused while others remain at large.

The police received a PCR call regarding the incident on January 2. Upon reaching the spot, officials found the complainant and his family members injured. They were taken to Hedgewar Hospital for treatment.

One of the accused, identified as Satish, who worked as a caretaker at a gym owned by the victims, has been arrested while others are at large.

According to the police, the confrontation was sparked by a dispute after Satish allegedly cheated the couple and took control of the gym. Tensions escalated following repeated arguments over the issue, culminating in the assault.

Purported videos of the assault also went viral on social media platforms.

In one of the videos, at least four men can be seen beating a man, stripping him and repeatedly kicking his face as he pleads for mercy. One of them was also seen hitting the man with a shoe, while several bystanders stood around watching the incident.

During the assault, two police personnel arrive at the spot on a motorcycle and hand the victim his trousers, even as the accused remain present at the scene, the video showed.

After receiving medical care, the complainant and his family members visited the police station, where their statements were recorded.

The police said they are examining all the viral clips to ascertain the sequence of events and the role of each accused.

"The entire matter is being investigated in detail. CCTV footage from the area is being scanned and multiple teams have been formed to identify and nab the remaining accused," a police officer said.

The officer said that investigating officers are visiting the family members to collect more details from the victim's family to understand the reason behind the attack. Meanwhile, the police teams are also questioning the accused.

"Soon after the PCR call, a team was immediately sent to the location. We have seen the videos and checking all the facts. The team responded on time. Rest people involved in the assault case will be nabbed soon," he added.

Based on the complaint, a case has been registered under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). This includes Section 115(2) for voluntarily causing hurt, Section 126(2) for wrongful restraint, Section 329 for criminal trespass and house-trespass, and Section 333 for house-trespass after preparation for causing hurt or assault.

Additional charges were filed under Section 74 for assault or criminal force to a woman with intent to outrage her modesty, Section 79 for words, gestures or acts intended to insult the modesty of a woman, Section 351(3) for criminal intimidation and Section 3(5) for joint liability.