2 Manipuri women assaulted in Delhi, complain of police apathy

Two women from Manipur have alleged that they were assaulted by a group of men in Kotla Mubarakpur in south Delhi a few days ago. The women, who said the men also made racist remarks, accused the police of delay in filing an FIR.

Police denied any reluctance on their part, saying they had booked the accused for assault and acts that intends to insult the modesty of a woman on the same day of the incident—January 24. Further sections were added on January 29. 

One of the accused, who is said to have led the assault, was arrested on Sunday.

The assault came to light after a young student from Arunachal Pradesh was beaten up by some shopkeepers in Lajpat Nagar, leading to his death.

Chonmila, one of the Manipuri victims, said that at 9:30 pm on January 24, she had gone to buy some herbs from a local grocery shop managed by her friend Tharmila Jajo. 

She said some “local goons passed racist remarks” at her and one of them tied the leash of a pet dog to her boot. 

“She panicked and in self-defence aimed a kick towards the dog. One of them (the goons) informed the dog’s owner, who came with his friends and began assaulting her, saying that she had kicked his dog,” said Sorinthan Haorei, secretary, Tangkhul Students Union, Delhi.

“The public watched, but three young men from her community came to her aid. The goons assaulted all of them and even pulled Jajo over her store’s counter. The men were passing lewd and racist comments all the while,” said the students’ union secretary.

He said when the girls approached the police, they were reluctant to file an FIR. “They called up some north-east association members, who then rang Joint Commissioner of Police Robin Hibu. The officer gave instructions to file the FIR. We received the FIR copy at 6:30 am the next day,” said Haorei.The police, who have also booked the accused under the SC/ST Act, said they acted swiftly.