Seven people, including the manager of a Guwahati nightclub, have been arrested following a viral video showing a woman being 'partially stripped and assaulted' by bouncers after a drunken brawl, prompting a police investigation into the incident and the club's operating hours.
Key Points
- Seven individuals, including the manager, event manager, and a front office executive of 'The Locals' nightclub in Guwahati, have been arrested.
- The arrests followed a viral video showing a woman being 'partially stripped and assaulted' by bouncers after a drunken brawl.
- Police registered a suo motu case and are investigating the incident, which occurred around 2.30 am, well past the permitted closing time.
- CCTV footage revealed the victim was assaulted inside the bar, dragged to the basement, and assaulted again, appearing semi-conscious.
- Authorities are also probing the nightclub's operation beyond legal hours and the management's failure to report the incident.
Seven people, including the manager of a nightclub, were arrested on Saturday after a woman was "partially stripped and assaulted" by bouncers of a bar following a drunken brawl in Guwahati a day ago, police said.
The arrests were made after the police registered a suo motu case and started an investigation after a video of the alleged assault at the nightclub in the Khanapara area early on Friday went viral on social media.
Investigation Underway
The arrested people were aged between 21 and 30 years, and included three women. The nightclub's manager, the event manager and a front office executive are among them.
Police are also looking into how the nightclub, 'The Locals', was open much beyond its permitted closing time of 12.30 am.
Guwahati East Deputy Police Commissioner Tabu Ram Pegu said that on receipt of information about the incident, police conducted an enquiry and examined the available CCTV footage.
"The footage revealed that the victim was assaulted inside the bar by a group of people at around 2.30 am. Thereafter, she was dragged towards the basement by pulling her hair and clothes, where she was again assaulted and appeared to become semi-conscious," he said.
Details of the Incident
Several of those allegedly involved in the incident were associated with the bar or were its staff, Pegu said, adding that its management did not inform the local police station regarding the matter.
"Accordingly, a suo motu case was registered at the Dispur police station, and an investigation has been taken up. Seven people have been arrested so far," the DCP said.
Pegu added that the police are examining the complete sequence of events, the role of each individual involved, the operation of the establishment beyond the permitted closing time, and any other violations that may emerge during the investigation.
The video of the incident which surfaced online purportedly showed the woman being beaten up while lying on the floor of a building's parking lot. Another woman is later seen coming to her rescue. The authenticity of the video could not verified independently.
Security Guard's Account
According to a security guard working at the building that houses the club, the woman had hit a female bouncer with a beer bottle inside the club. "This angered other bouncers there, and they brought her downstairs and assaulted her," he claimed.
