A property dispute over a gym in east Delhi’s Laxmi Nagar spiralled into a public assault on January 2, leaving a family injured and traumatised, even as videos of the attack circulated widely on social media.
According to the family, the violence began when they were standing outside their own house. Rita Garg, the youth’s mother, said on Monday, the property legally belongs to them and questioned why they could not even stand outside it.
"Shubham Yadav, came and grabbed my husband. When I tried to save my husband, a man named Pintu Yadav came. He stopped his Thar vehicle so fast that my husband narrowly escaped death. After that, he started beating my husband," she said.
She said several men joined in, throwing her husband to the ground and beating him. When Rita Garg tried to intervene, she too was attacked. She said she was kicked, her hair was pulled and she was pushed aside.
"I ran to the police station for help. By the time these people had entered the house and dragged my son away. They stripped him of all his clothes. He was beaten naked. People were watching. My son kept pleading with folded hands," she asked.
Rajesh Garg, the father, said the assault took place around 3–3.30 pm.
"My son's wedding is in 10 days. He beat him badly. I saw him lying on the road. Both my sons have left home. They have also switched off their mobile phones. We don't know where they are. The police have only arrested Pintu Yadav so far. The rest are all absconding. I want all of them to be arrested. They should be given the harshest possible punishment," he said.
Police said the incident stemmed from a dispute over the ownership and control of a gym in the area. They received a PCR call on January 2 and found the complainant and his family members injured.
The victims were taken to Hedgewar Hospital for treatment. One accused, Satish, who worked as a caretaker at a gym owned by the victims, has been arrested.
Police said he allegedly cheated the couple and took control of the gym, leading to repeated arguments that culminated in the assault.
Videos of the incident went viral on social media. In one clip, several men can be seen beating a man, stripping him and kicking his face as he pleads for mercy, while bystanders look on.
Another video shows two police personnel arriving on a motorcycle and handing the victim his trousers, even as the accused remain present at the spot.
After receiving medical treatment, the family visited the police station, where their statements were recorded. Police said they are examining all viral clips to establish the sequence of events and identify the role of each accused.
An officer said the case is being investigated in detail, with CCTV footage from the area being scanned and multiple teams formed to trace the remaining accused.
An FIR has been registered under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including provisions related to causing hurt, wrongful restraint, criminal trespass, assault on a woman with intent to outrage her modesty, criminal intimidation and joint liability.