How A Disagreement Over Dust Turned Into A Racist Attack In Delhi

Minor repair work in a rented flat turned into a nightmare for three young women from Arunachal Pradesh. The students, one of whom is preparing for the UPSC civil services examination, alleged they were racially abused and intimidated by their neighbours in South Delhi's Malviya Nagar.

While an FIR has been registered, the women are calling for a punishment that sets a precedent. They asserted the remarks were not merely personal but a direct attack on the dignity of the northeastern community. "This is a crime. This shouldn't be justified. It can cause severe mental trauma," the women told reporters.

A Disagreement Over Dust

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 his partner 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.

Allegations Of Racial Stereotyping

The women claimed 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.

In the video, the accused woman can allegedly be seen talking to one of the women and using derogatory language against her, implying that the students were involved in prostitution. "Have you opened a massage parlour at home?" the accused woman said.

A police officer was present at the spot when the altercation was happening. He was also seen intervening and trying to pacify the situation.

In an apparent attempt to assert social superiority, she also said, "Teri aukaat nahi hai... custom officer ka beta hai woh... politician ka beta hai (You have no standards. He is the son of a customs officer...a politician's son)."

'He Threatened To Beat Us Up'

Recalling the confrontation, another flatmate said, "We were getting our air conditioner repaired and dust from it fell onto the floor below, so these people got really angry and started abusing the electrician. So, we tried to defend him and asked them not to abuse him. I asked them to talk to him nicely. The electrician apologised to them as well."

However, the situation worsened when Harsh Singh allegedly threatened them with physical harm. "He started shouting. He said, 'Am I speaking to you? You are uncivilised, uneducated people from the northeast'. He threatened to beat us up. Then he said many things against the northeast," she alleged.

The woman said that after the disagreement, they came back to their flat. "But he didn't stop. He called the police as well. I want them to be punished. This keeps happening to us. We don't want this to happen again. We want a punishment that sets an example," she said.

The FIR was registered at Malviya Nagar police station 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.) against Harsh Singh and his wife Ruby Jain, the police said.

Section 196 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita is a non-bailable and cognizable offense.

No arrests have been made in the case so far.

The women, meanwhile, are seeking justice and exemplary punishment. "We want an action that sets an example so that people from the northeast don't have to face this again."