'Accused On The Run, Will Be Arrested': Arunachal Chief Minister On Racist Attack On 3 Women In Delhi

A man and a woman who hurled racist abuse on three women from Arunachal Pradesh on camera are allegedly on the run, according to the chief minister of the border state in the northeast region.

The first information report (FIR) against the two accused, Harsh Singh and Ruby Jain, said the two confronted the three women after dust started collecting on the stairs due to an electrician's work in the rented flat.

Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu in a post on X condemned the "shameful incident of racial abuse faced by our three young sisters..."

"Such behaviour is absolutely unacceptable and has no place in our society," the chief minister said, adding he spoke with the Delhi Police chief after hearing about the incident and demanded swift and strict action.

Khandu said he is personally in touch with the Delhi Police commissioner.

Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia (@JM_Scindia) speaks with Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh, Pema Khandu and the Commissioner of Delhi Police on Incident of Racial Harassment

Read here: https://t.co/xWOfmuf1q5 https://t.co/gUsTT9xo8C

— PIB India (@PIB_India) February 24, 2026

"... The accused are currently absconding, and I have been assured that they will be apprehended at the earliest and dealt with as per law. We stand firmly with our three sisters, and their safety, dignity, and justice remain our highest priority," the chief minister said.

Strongly condemn the shameful incident of racial abuse faced by our three young sisters from Arunachal Pradesh residing in Malviya Nagar, South Delhi. Such behaviour is absolutely unacceptable and has no place in our society.

Immediately after learning about the matter...

— Pema Khandu པདྨ་མཁའ་འགྲོ་། (@PemaKhanduBJP) February 24, 2026

Union Communications Minister Jyotiraditya M Scindia, who also handles the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), said he was "deeply disturbed" by the racial harassment faced by the three young women from Arunachal Pradesh.

"A minor residential issue escalating into abuse and intimidation rooted in prejudice is profoundly shameful," Scindia said. "... Any injustice against our brothers and sisters from the northeast will not be tolerated. Their safety and dignity are paramount to us."

Deeply disturbed by the racial harassment faced by three young women from Arunachal Pradesh in Malviya Nagar, South Delhi. A minor residential issue escalating into abuse and intimidation rooted in prejudice is profoundly shameful.

Spoke with Hon'ble CM of Arunachal...

— Jyotiraditya M. Scindia (@JM_Scindia) February 24, 2026

Other leaders who condemned the incident included former Manipur chief minister N Biren Singh, and Congress MP from Assam Gaurav Gogoi, who said the "incident cannot be dismissed as a routine dispute."

The racist abuse faced by Arunachali women in Delhi is deeply disturbing and unacceptable. No citizen should be made to feel alien in their own country. This incident is a stark reminder that prejudice against people from the North-East still persists.

This incident cannot be...

— Gaurav Gogoi (@GauravGogoiAsm) February 24, 2026

Deeply disturbed by the incident in Malviya Nagar, South Delhi, where three women from Arunachal Pradesh were allegedly subjected to racial slurs and derogatory remarks.

Such behaviour is completely unacceptable and has no place in a diverse and democratic nation like ours....

— N. Biren Singh (@NBirenSingh) February 24, 2026

Arunachal Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein said the "racial harassment faced by [the] three young women... is deeply condemnable and utterly unacceptable."

"Such shameful behaviour has no place in a civilised society and goes against the spirit of unity and mutual respect that binds our nation together," he said.

The incident of racial harassment faced by three young women from Arunachal Pradesh in Malviya Nagar, South Delhi, is deeply condemnable and utterly unacceptable.

Such shameful behaviour has no place in a civilised society and goes against the spirit of unity and mutual respect...

— Chowna Mein (@ChownaMeinBJP) February 24, 2026

The deputy chief minister himself had once confronted a YouTuber, identified as Paras Singh, for making racist comments. The police in Punjab's Ludhiana had arrested Paras Singh and handed him over to their Arunachal counterpart.

Paras Singh spent two weeks in the state capital Itanagar before the authorities let him go. Before returning home to Punjab, he apologised for his comments: "I realised I made a great mistake and hurt the sentiments of the people of Arunachal Pradesh and the northeast. I will try my best to win their hearts back."

What Happened In Malviya Nagar

On February 20, the women had called an electrician to install an air conditioner in their fourth-floor flat. During the installation, drilling debris fell to the floor below, prompting an aggressive reaction from their neighbours, Harsh Singh and Ruby Jain. What began as a disagreement quickly devolved into targeted harassment.

"It was a small incident, but it blew up. We have registered an FIR because of the abusive language used against us and how they chose to describe us," said the UPSC aspirant, who has lived in the National Capital Region for more than two years.

The women said they were subjected to offensive stereotypes.

"I feel that because we look different and we can't speak Hindi that well, they think we are not a part of this country. They think we are from China or some other country. So they think that they can say anything to us, and the police will shield them," the student said. "I am from Arunachal. I am an Indian citizen, but people don't see us like that. Because they are uncivilised."

A video of the incident showed the students and the couple engaged in a heated debate in the lobby of the fourth floor of the apartment complex.