Gym owner beaten, son stripped on road, wife groped; Delhi family's torment captured on video

New Delhi, Jan 5 (PTI) A long-standing dispute over a gym's ownership turned into a nightmare for a Delhi family when the establishment's 52-year-old owner and his son were dragged, stripped and beaten in full public view by a group of men in Laxmi Nagar, while his wife was also allegedly molested by the accused.

Police said that they have arrested one of the accused, while efforts are on to nab the other suspects who are on the run.

Purported videos of the January 2 incident went viral on social media, capturing parts of the torment the family went through.

In one of the clips, a group of men can be seen raining blows on the gym owner Rajesh Garg's son Vasu (26), dragging him and stripping him on a road as he pleads for mercy.

The accused can be seen repeatedly kicking the man in the face. One of them even used a shoe to assault him, while bystanders stood around watching.

The police said two policemen on a motorcycle reached the scene during the assault. In one of the videos, the officers are seen handing the victim his trousers even as some of the accused remain present nearby.

On January 2, Rajesh Garg, who runs a gym with his wife Rita Garg (51) in the basement of their house, was allegedly assaulted by the caretaker, Satish Yadav. While Rita was molested, pulled and thrashed, her husband was punched and beaten ruthlessly, they said.

But the family's agony didn't end there, the group of attackers dragged Rajesh's son onto a road, stripped him naked in full public view, repeatedly kicked his face and battered him with shoes, leaving the 26-year-old man bleeding.

"I was pulled by my hair. They groped my chest as I tried desperately to shield my husband and son from the attackers," Rita Garg told police.

The assault, which was carried out by a group of men, unfolded at the establishment's gate, then inside the premises, and finally spilled onto the road, with policemen witnessing the incident as a mute spectator, Ritu Garg said in her complaint.

The alleged brutality faced by the Garg family, who told police that the attack was the culmination of months of harassment, threats and intimidation, is linked to a dispute over the gym's ownership, the FIR read.

According to the police, Rita Garg alleged that the gym's caretaker, Satish Yadav, cheated them and gradually took over the commercial venture, asserting ownership despite having no legal rights.

In her detailed complaint, she told police that she had hired Satish Yadav alias Pintu Yadav only as a caretaker and never gave him any ownership rights over the gym.

The complainant said that she possessed all documents related to the gym's ownership.

However, after Yadav began asserting control, repeated requests by the family for him to vacate the premises often led to aggressive behaviour, verbal abuse and threats even before the January 2 incident.

The situation escalated sharply on the afternoon of January 2 when sewage water began leaking into their house due to a connection located in the basement where the gym operates, Rita Garg alleged in her FIR.

"The leakage caused waterlogging and a foul smell throughout the house. Despite repeated phone calls, Yadav did not respond. Left with no option, my husband went down to the basement to check the issue," read the FIR.

Rita Garg alleged that soon after, Yadav arrived at the gym along with several associates.

What followed, she said, was a violent assault.

The attackers allegedly dragged her husband from the gym gate, beat him there, then took him inside the gym, where he was stripped naked and assaulted with an iron rod, she said.

She claimed he was threatened with death, with the assailants allegedly telling him they would "wipe out his entire lineage".

As she tried to intervene and save her husband, Rita Garg alleged that she herself was assaulted.

She claimed her hair was pulled, face struck and her chest groped, and that she was kicked and thrown onto the road. In a desperate bid to seek help, Rita Garg said she ran towards the police station.

It was then, she alleged, that some of the attackers entered her house and started thrashing her son Vasu.

According to the complaint, Vasu was beaten inside the house, dragged onto the road, stripped and assaulted with shoes.

Rita Garg alleged that her son's tooth was broken during the attack and that he was repeatedly hit on the head, leaving him dizzy and disoriented. He was also allegedly threatened with death and warned that his face would be disfigured.

The police said the assault involved a large group, with Rita Garg naming Shubham Yadav, Vikas Yadav, Omkar Yadav and Satish Yadav as the accused.

When police received a PCR call, police reached the spot at house and found the three family members injured.

They were taken to Dr. Hedgewar Arogya Sansthan for medical examination.

According to the medical reports, Rajesh Garg suffered swelling on the left side of his face and is facing difficulty opening his mouth. He also has multiple red-blue contusions on his face, and swelling on the left frontal region of his head.

Vasu was found to have multiple bruises on his back and face. Rita Garg had bruises on her right hand and little finger, it added.

After receiving medical treatment, the injured were brought to the police station, where their statements were recorded.

"Based on the complaint and preliminary findings, police registered a case under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt), 126(2) (wrongful restraint), 329 (criminal trespass), 333 (house-trespass after preparation for causing hurt or assault), 74 (assault), 79 (acts intended to insult woman's modesty), 351(3) (criminal intimidation) and 3(5) (joint liability)," a senior police officer said.

"Satish Yadav has been arrested, while others remain at large. Multiple teams have been formed to trace and nab the remaining accused," the officer said.

The police said they are also examining all viral video clips and CCTV footage from the area to reconstruct the exact sequence of events and determine the specific 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," said the police officer.

The officer said investigating teams are in regular touch with the Garg family to gather more details and understand the background of the dispute, while the arrested accused is being questioned.

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