Journalist stalked, harassed by drunk youth in Agra; U.P cops turns blind eye
Damini Mahaur, an Agra-based journalist, was travelling home from the office on the evening of January 25 when she suddenly realised that she was being stalked by two drunk youths. Mahaur is a news anchor at Den News Agra, one of the biggest cable TV networks in Uttar Pradesh.
Showing courage, Mahaur took to social media to narrate her ordeal on January 28. In her Facebook post, the journalist claimed that she made distress calls to Uttar Pradesh women power helpline 1090 but was not extended any support.
“On January 25, at around 8 pm, I was followed from near Bhagwan Talkies by two inebriated youths on a motorcycle. They first made gestures at me and started stalking me. I was on foot. Initially, I ignored them, but then they attempted to talk to me. Fearful, I changed my route, but they still followed me. I decided to take a picture of the number plate, but the man sitting on the pillion said it was a fake number and even struck a pose. There was no fear or shame on the youths’ face,” wrote Mahaur.
She also tagged SSP Agra, women helpline, DGP UP and CM Yogi Adityanath, and further wrote, “What happened to me that night was not such a big incident. But such men who chase and stalk a lone woman without any fear of police made me ashamed. They chased me. The next time they might rape a girl and destroy her life.”
Talking to The Times Of India, Mahaur said, “I was not helped for four days even after I made a distress call to UP women helpline 1090 explaining to the communication officer about the incident. Finally, when I wrote about the incident on Facebook, the 1090 officers contacted me and apologised for laxity in carrying out their duty.”
Read her Facebook post here:
The Agra Police finally arrested the two stalkers on Monday evening and registered cases under IPC Section 354D (following a woman and contacting, or attempting to contact such a woman to foster personal interaction repeatedly despite a clear indication of disinterest by such a woman).