Stopped People, Shouted For Help, Didn't Get Any: Woman Molested In Bengaluru

The woman who was molested by a man on a two-wheeler in a crowded IT park in Bengaluru has said respect for people's boundaries is "still a big loophole" in society.

Talking to NDTV on Friday, the woman said she came forward to speak about what had happened to her because she wanted to ensure that women, and people in general, raise their voice against such crimes so that criminals do not get a free pass. 

Recalling the attack, the survivor said she was walking in Ecoworld in the Marathahalli area around 11.30 pm on Wednesday when she felt a "huge hit" on her back. 

"I was perplexed. I thought maybe someone was riding a vehicle recklessly. The same thing happened again, though, and with greater intensity. Then I was sure someone was doing this deliberately," she said. 

The woman said she shouted for help, but got none. 

"The third time... I could see the guy taking a U-turn and coming for me. I shouted for help, there were so many people, it is always a bustling area... I asked people for help, I stopped auto drivers, I stopped others... but no one came to my help,  that's the most surprising thing," she said.

'More Alert'

The woman said she wanted to speak out about the incident because there is a stigma attached to women who are survivors of crimes like these. 

She said that after the incident, she went to the security booth at Ecoworld, where she got assistance. She approached the police on Thursday and a deputy commissioner of police and assistant commissioner of police looked into the case personally. 

"The investigation is on. I am keeping my fingers crossed, hoping the man gets caught. This has happened to me, and if the man gets a free pass, he can do this to others as well," she asserted. 

To a question on whether she feels unsafe after what happened, the woman said she is more alert, but also knows how to deal with situations like this. 

'Need For Change'

She said instead of just looking for someone to blame for such crimes, people also need to start taking responsibility at an individual level so that there is a change in society. 

"If, tomorrow, I have a son, I know what I will be teaching him. There is a typical conditioning that has infiltrated society - that men get a free pass for so many behaviours. Even women, under the pretence of feminism, have started to take a free pass for so many things. So it's about knowing the laws and respecting them," she said, adding that such issues should also be part of the education system and should be taught in schools. 

"The fact that this happened in an area with so many surveillance cameras and security guards... That's the most surprising thing, and is testimony to the fact that no matter how many safety measures we have, there is a big loophole when it comes to how people are conditioned to look at each other and towards respecting each other's boundaries," she rued. 

Not A Victim

The woman asserted that she does not see herself or other women who have faced such situations as victims. 

"The person who did this is the victim. Imagine how messed up he would have to be to derive a sense of control by violating someone's boundaries to this extent. So my message to other women is: Don't victimise yourself... You don't need to hide behind the curtains... The person who is doing this is the one doing something wrong," she said.