Former Miss India and Bollywood actress Gul Panag admitted of being sexually molested yesterday by some unknown participants at the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon 2010.
Incidentally, the other celebrities, who made their presence felt at the event but kept themselves away from the run, were Bipasha Basu, Arshad Warsi, Rahul Bose, Urmila Matondkar and Dhanraj Pillai.
It is believed that Gul was groped by some unidentified participants after a sudden stampede that happened at the marathon.
Gul not shocked by this incident
Gul who regularly takes part in marathons disclosed that she had expected that this would happen in the capital and was not surprised.
Talking about this incident, Gul said, "I am not at all shocked by the instance. It is most likely to happen if you are in Delhi. I just wonder when it's going to change, the typical north Indian male mentality. Just by having pretty roads and good infrastructure at places, you cannot sit back with a Capital city that's totally unsafe. It is difficult being a woman in Delhi."
The actress, who has taken part in half dozen marathons in Mumbai, felt completely disgusted with her first marathon experience in Delhi.
"It's the women-in-crowded-place syndrome and typical of Delhi—grope. And it's not even surprising. I am amarathon runner and I've run a dozen-odd half marathons. There are always crowds, but this was my first marathon in Delhi. This doesn't happen in Mumbai. But like I said, it's expected in Delhi— it's part of the culture," further added this sports enthusiast.
Gul also stated that Mumbai is much safer for women than Delhi, since it hasn't changed over the years even after hosting a mammoth event like the Commonwealth Games. Gul echoed common opinion that it's definitely not an ideal place for women.
"I had thought that Delhi would have undergone a change in its attitude towards women in the seven years that I have been away but it continues to be unsafe," added the actress.
Gul did not file a formal complaint
Having gotten badly molested at the beginning of the race by some offenders didn't deter the actress from completing the race.
Incidentally, it's learnt that the actress didn't make a complaint to the police about this awful incident.
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