Man harasses woman driver, two people try to intervene and lodge complaint, but nothing happens

The News Minute | September 6, 2014 | 4.26 pm ISTA video that two journalists posted on YouTube has been the subject of much talk and raises the eternal question of what to when someone is harassed in public and how much responsibility bystanders have to intervene.Achint Sharma shared his video on YouTube on September 3 and in less than three days, it has been viewed over two lakh times. Titled “A guy harassing a female driver”, the video shows a man parking his motorcycle on a road at the traffic light and approaching the person who is taking a video of the man from inside a car.The description accompanying the video is fairly lengthy, explaining the circumstances. The two people in the car were trying to intervene when they realised that a man on a motorcycle was harassing a woman driver on the road. Sharma writes: “My first instinct was to give this guy, who looked drunk, a piece of my mind. But to my horror, as soon as I approached this guy, I found him signalling the female driver to stop her vehicle and sit on her motorbike instead. This went on for good one or two minutes before we started honking. I decided to intervene, but the guy simply lifted his shirt a bit, flashing a knife and threatened us of dire consequences. And all this was happening in the middle of the road, in broad daylight.”Also: “The biker was relentless as he continued with his gestures and hurled cuss words to the female driver. The men in the car decided to get their vehicle in the middle of both the vehicles and did not stop honking. Their car barely squeezed through. One of the journalists asked the woman if this guy was teasing her, to which she nodded in affirmation.”At the end of the video, one of the men can be heard saying aloud the license plate number of the man on the motorcycle. Sharma says all this happened in the presence of the police, who were nearby. Watch the video here:In a lengthier comment, the duo chronologically describe the incident again. They say they even approached the police to file a complaint, but were turned away as they said that only a victim could file a complaint.In the comment, they wrote: “The Journalists get back home, prepare the story, upload the footage on youtube, burn a copy on a DVD and a pen-drive, write the complaint and then wondered if the cops would help them at all. They turn to facebook, pull out screen grabs, vehicle registration numbers of both the victim as well as the assailant’s vehicle. Crystal clear print, no smudging, they feel a bit relieved given the poor light condition as it had rained the whole day. But while going through the footage, they realize how a traffic constable saw the entire incident and didn’t move an inch out of his chair from within the make-shift Police picket.”Later, when their attempts to lodge a complaint with the police failed, they asked people not to intimidated if something like this happens to them, but instead, lodge a complaint with the police.They said: “While we sincerely hope the victim would surface and help us take this case forward, we would also urge our readers not to be deterred by these incidents and instead of staying mum, speak up or rather shout out loud. Because it is only then, can the women on the streets be safe. Your silence will encourage men like these.”