Sharp rise in crime against NE people

From 27 cases in 2011 to 73 cases in 2013, crime against people from the northeast living in the capital has been rising alarmingly.

Police have registered 139 cases till November 12 on 847 PCR calls. Of which 645 were crime-related. The maximum calls of 259 were made from south Delhi, where three men from Manipur have been found dead in the last three days.

Of the 259 complaints received in south Delhi, 58 were with Vasant Vihar police station, while 48 were received at Safdarjung Enclave police station. According to North East Support Centre and Helpline (NESCH), over two lakh people from northeast live in the capital, of which 50 per cent are women.

“We don’t feel safe in the city and most of the locals do not even treat us as Indians. They harass us in markets and we are often victims of racist remarks,” Yaorie Kengoo told Deccan Herald.

He is the elder brother of 32-year-old Kashung Zingran Kengoo, who was found dead with his throat slit at his rented house in south Delhi’s Kotla Mubarakpur on Wednesday.
Another youth from Manipur claimed that police also refuse to help them in most of the complaints. “We are always forced to approach a senior representative of the northeastern community in the Delhi Police to help initiate police action,” said Christopher.

Of the list of complaints, 56 were of eve-teasing, 13 of molestation and 22 were cyber crime incidents. Three cases of murder and an attempt to murder were also reported, while six cases of rape and four cases of attempt to rape were filed.

Recently, in the face of rising incidents of crime against people from the northeast, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju had assured strict action by the Ministry. He had also said they would implement recommendations of the Bezbaruah Committee.

Headed by M P Bezbaruah, Member of the North Eastern Council, the committee’s mandate was to listen to the issues raised by people from northeast living in other areas of the country, especially metros. The committee had filed its report with Union Home Ministry in July.