New Delhi: Three women from Arunachal Pradesh have alleged that they were racially profiled, humiliated and intimidated by their neighbors in south Delhi’s Malviya Nagar over a dispute over maintenance work in a rented apartment.Video of the incident has now gone viral on social media. TOI cannot vouch for the authenticity of the video.In the video, the accused woman can be heard calling the women “momo” and asking: “Mei massage parlor for 500 rupees mei kaam karne waali dhandhewali (You work as a sex worker in a massage parlor and earn Rs 500 per annum). Are you sitting here doing business? Do you run a massage parlor at home?”At around 3:30 pm on February 20, the women called an electrician to install air conditioning in their fourth-floor apartment. Dust and debris from the drilling operations fell on the floor below, triggering objections from neighbours, Harsh Singh and his wife Ruby Jain, PTI reported.What started as a disagreement soon escalated into insults and racial slurs directed at the Northeastern community.The defendants also allegedly made offensive remarks, calling the women “rubbish”, telling them to “go sell their mothers” and saying “Northeasterners are full of shit”. The man, Harsh Singh, also used derogatory language. At one point, the accused woman, claiming social and economic advantages, said: “Teri aukaat nahi hai…customs officer ka beta hai woh…politician ka beta hai (You have no standards. He is the son of a customs officer…the son of a politician).”A police officer was present during the altercation and can be seen on video trying to calm the situation. In the video, the women confront the couple, with one saying: “Everyone heard what you said about my image. You falsely accused me of drinking. If you find a bottle, check my room.”The women lodged a complaint with the Malviya Nagar police station. The FIR has been registered under BNS sections 79 (words intended to insult the modesty of women), 351(2) (criminal intimidation), 3(5) (common intention) and 196 (incitement to enmity on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc.). against the couple. Section 196 is non-bailable and cognizable. According to PTI, no arrests have been made so far. “No physical harm was reported. However, the complainant claimed to have been mentally harassed and humiliated,” a senior police officer said. The women demanded a formal apology, saying the comments undermined the dignity of the northeastern community.The situation reportedly worsened when a building agent informed the women that they would have to vacate the apartment within two months due to planned repairs. The complainant expressed concerns about his safety and future accommodation.Police said further investigation into the matter was ongoing.
