The Noida Police have responded via their official X account
A woman's disturbing account of sexual harassment in Noida has ignited outrage after she shared her experiences on X. Sonal Pateria described three separate incidents of harassment by strangers across Delhi-NCR. In a series of tweets, Ms Pateria detailed the first incident near DLF Mall in Sector-18, Noida, where a man on a motorcycle rudely asked, "kya rate legi?" ("What's your rate?"). The man did not stop, leaving Pateria shocked and distressed.
The second incident occurred last Sunday as Ms Pateria walked toward Sector-18 Metro station. A man approached her, expressing his interest and suggesting there might be a chance for something more. Ms Pateria, uninterested, walked away and called a friend to stay on the phone until she was safely home.
In the third incident at Rajeev Chowk Metro station, another man asked for her phone number.
These events took place within a month, prompting Ms Pateria to voice her frustration and fear about the pervasive nature of such harassment. She emphasised that the issue is not about her attire or the time of day but about the constant fear faced by many women and the exhaustion from reporting every incident.
"I'll not be defensive about what I was wearing or what the time was because none of that matters. What matters is that I and a lot of women like me live in constant fear. And we have no energy left to report each and every case," she wrote.
"Delhi NCR streets are full of dogs at night. They start barking or following when you cross by their side. I'm less scared of them now. At least they stop when you stand or they have a fear of sticks. These men whom I came across, are not scared of anything!" she wrote in another tweet.
The Noida Police have responded via their official X account, stating that an investigation has been launched into the mall incident. The case has been assigned to the Assistant Deputy Commissioner of Police, with a special team and CCTV footage review to follow.
Ms Pateria's post on X has received over four lakh views and a range of comments. Several users shared similar experiences in the comments section.
"This is terrible. If this is the condition in a metro town where educated people live, I can only imagine what's happening in more remote areas," a user wrote.
"It's deeply heartbreaking and shameful that we, as a society, have failed to protect our sisters. Such incidents highlight how far we still have to go in ensuring their safety and dignity," another user commented.
The third user wrote on X, "This is so disturbing, we can only hope that no one goes through this!"
In another tweet, Ms Pateria mentioned that she received a call from ACP Praveen Singh, who assured her that they were investigating the matter. "Though I believe, this issue is more of a cultural problem rather than law and order. Still, Noida Police took this case into their hands. Looking up for the action & updates," she wrote on X.