Hauz Khas Village is popular among Delhi's young crowd.
On Thursday, a woman took to Twitter to narrate a horrific incident she had witnessed the previous night in Delhi's posh Hauz Khas Village market.
She said a group of men in a car attempted to stalk a woman and abduct her. Their advances stopped after she intervened, along with her friends, the woman wrote on Twitter.
Known for its restaurants, bars, cafes and shops, Hauz Khas Village is popular among Delhi's young crowd. But the popularity of the market place does not over shadow the lack of security there - poorly-lit streets and lack of patrolling by the police remain a concern among the regulars, most of them women.
NDTV visited this famous hub of socialisation to check the reality of women's safety in the area.
"It's not safe here at night, especially if you're travelling alone," says Tsemola, who we met outside the bar Social. Her friend Avi gave us a different perspective. "It's definitely not safe, but I don't know if Hauz Khas Village is to be blamed for that entirely. It's more about the mentality of people here. There are many unsafe places for women in the night in this city, not just Hauz Khas Village," she said.
The concern is shared by those who visit the village frequently. "There have been times when I've been approached by men asking whether they can come home with me. It's ridiculous," says Jude, who is a regular here.
"We definitely need more street lights here. The road leading to the village is too dark. Yes, some police officers are seen here and there, but where are the female cops," she asks.
Jude says she visits the market once or twice a week, and every time safety remains a concern for her.
Even woman working in the area shares a similar concern. "Most of the cases of harassment or eve teasing happen in the road leading up to the Hauz Khas Village stretch. We need more lighting in the area, which should be provided by the MCD," says Anisha, owner of the bar Garage Inc. She adds, "It does hurt business sometimes because some women don't feel safe coming here at all."
However, there are some who feel it is necessary for the people to stay strong. "I don't think Hauz Khas Village is unsafe. Women are very strong, and the girls here need to stay strong and not be scared," says Meherunnisa Shaukat Ali, who works as a female bouncer at Social.
Police sources claim incidents of molestation have never been reported from Hauz Khas Village. They also claimed that the area is regularly patrolled by 25-30 police officers to maintain order.
However, all the regular patrons of the area we spoke denied this.