'Have you opened a massage parlour?': 3 women from Arunachal Pradesh face racism in Delhi

A purported video of the incident also has been making rounds on social media.

• Three Arunachali women in Delhi allege racial abuse by neighbors
• FIR filed for racial slurs, no arrests made yet
• Victims demand apology, cite mental harassment and humiliation

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In yet another instance of racial discrimination faced by individuals from the northeast, three women from Arunachal Pradesh were reportedly subjected to racial slurs, humiliation and intimidation by their neighbours following a dispute over some repair work at their rented flat in south Delhi's Malviya Nagar.

The police said an FIR under BNS sections pertaining to outraging a woman's modesty and promoting enmity on grounds of religion, race, etc. has been registered against two people -- Harsh Singh and his wife Ruby Jain.

What began as a disagreement over falling debris soon turned ugly, with the women alleging that the couple hurled abuses and made derogatory and racial remarks targeting them and the northeastern community.

On February 20, the women had called an electrician at their fourth-floor flat around 3.30 pm for getting an air conditioner installed.

A purported video of the incident also has been making rounds on social media." Are you sitting here to do business? Have you opened a massage parlour at home?" the accused woman said.

The Arunachali women further alleged that they were subjected to racist abuse. The accused duo, in the video, can be heard calling the victims "gutter-chaap".

Reacting to the development, Meghalaya chief minister Conrad Sangma on Sunday said discrimination against people of Northeast India must stop after three women from Arunachal Pradesh were allegedly subjected to racial slurs and intimidation by their neighbours in Delhi.

No arrests have been made so far, despite an FIR filed under BNS sections 79 (word intended to insult a woman’s modesty), 351(2) (criminal intimidation), 3(5) (common intention) and 196 (promoting enmity on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc.).

“No physical injuries were reported. However, the complainants have alleged mental harassment and humiliation,” the senior officer told PTI. The women have demanded a formal apology from the accused, stating that the remarks were not merely personal but targeted the dignity of the northeastern community.