Anjali Singh: grisly hit-and-run death reignites debate on women’s safety in India
- Anjali Singh was dragged along a New Delhi road for about 12km by a car that hit her scooter on New Year’s Eve
- Activists say little has been done to improve women’s safety in India, or the ‘culture of violence against women’
The victim, Anjali Singh, and her friend Nidhi had been travelling along a dimly lit and deserted road after attending an event when their scooter was hit by a car.
Anjali’s leg became caught and her body was trapped beneath the vehicle. Despite her screams, the car’s occupants continued driving and dragged the 20-year-old’s body along for about 12km, after which they left her on the road and drove off.
“My niece was innocently going about her business. She was the family breadwinner and was attending an event she had organised. We keep saying girls should be educated and work, but what’s the point if they aren’t even safe outside the home?” asked Prem Kumar, the young woman’s uncle.
Anjali’s death triggered angry protests outside the local police station in Sultanpuri in west Delhi where she lived. Her family and neighbours have been demanding answers, asking why police were not patrolling the area and why they took two hours to respond to emergency calls from eyewitnesses.
