Manipuri cousins thrashed, racially abused near DU campus
Source: Hueiyen News Service /India Today Online

New Delhi, March 01 2014 : In yet another incident of violence against Northeastern people in the national capital, a girl and her cousin brother hailing from Manipur were allegedly attacked by two men who thrashed them, hurled racial abuses and molested the girl last night.

According to the police, both the assailants, identified as Kamal, a motor mechanic and his associate Manpreet have been arrested.

The victims hail from Ukhrul district of Manipur.

The 24-year-old-woman is pursuing B.Ed from Delhi University.

The incident took place at around 10 PM last night in Vijay Nagar area which is close to Delhi University's north campus when the boy was going to drop her cousin sister to her PG after having dinner at his place.

As they reached near a park at Buddha Colony, they saw a man urinating on roadside.

Seeing the girl, he turned towards her and started making lewd gestures and comments.

Manipuri cousins thrashed, racially abused near DU campus

"They first ignored him but as he continued and went on to call them 'chinki' 'and nepali', the boy confronted him.

Kamal and Manpreet, who were in an inebriated state, thrashed the boy black and blue, when the girl tried to intervene, they beat her, tore her dress and molested her and even tried to rape her in front of her brother," said a friend of the duo.

As they shouted for help, locals and neighbours rushed to the spot after which they fled from the spot.

Police was informed and both the victims were taken to a nearby hospital.

They were later discharged after first aid and medical examination.

However, soon after the incident, Northeastern students and other locals reached Model Town police station and protested.

The demonstrators pelted stones due to which over ten vehicles including a PCR van were damaged, the officer said.

"We have registered a case under relevant sections and both the accused have been arrested," said a senior police official.

However, a statement issued by Chinglen Khumukcham of North-East Forum for International Solidarity has a different story to tell.

According to the statement, sibling were sitting in park opposite their paying guest accommodation in Vijay Nagar double storey(close to Delhi University's North Campus) at around 10:30 pm on February 28 when 4 drunkards started urinating in close vicinity and started making obscene and lewd gestures towards the p woman.

When the woman raised objection, the rowdy elements started beating both of them and molested the girl and attempted to rape her.

When she raised alarm students from various North East communities living in the surrounding area gathered and Police also arrived shortly.

But instead of taking the matter seriously, they tried to hush up the matter in connivance with the local landlords.

Moreover, they tried to make fun of the issue thus showing insensitivity and racial bias of the police.

This irresponsible behavior by the police led to more students assembling at the location.

When the students started pressurizing the police to file an FIR promptly, the police instead of listening started misbehaving with female students and one of the north east women was slapped.

This led to slogan shouting from the students and to disperse the agitated crowd, police resorted to lathi charge, manhandling and molestation.

Many students were seriously injured and one student was taken into police custody where he was beaten so badly that he can't move now.

When more students assembled, the behaviour of the police reached a new low by indulging in stone pelting at the agitated students.

The police team had neither female personnel nor any senior police officer.

Because of the inaction of the police, 3 of the 4 accused managed to escape and an FIR was filed only in the morning.

The students who suffered grievous injuries needed to be stitched and were bleeding profusely, but they were not even provided MLC facility.

This clearly shows that lawlessness, racism and crime against women in Delhi were promoted by the police themselves.

When the SHO was questioned on this issue, he replied that this was a 'security issue' .

Whose security-we want to ask? What else can explain the detention of students in police station? Whose security are the police responsible for? Don't North East people have any access to law? Where were the police when the incident happened? Why didn't they provide justice promptly? Is the duty of police to be hand in glove with hooligans and rowdy elements?, the statement questioned.

"The North East community will not leave this matter to rest lightly.

We will meet the senior police officers of Delhi police and concerned officers in the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) so that justice is provided to the aggrieved parties.

The issue is not over after the filing of FIR, we also demand that the police personnel involved are suspended for their pathetic and illegal behavior.

We also demand that all the four accused get arrested immediately or else we will resort to all the democratic means available to us to ensure so", the statement of the North-East Forum for International Solidarity added.