'Called us sex workers, targeted Northeast': UPSC aspirant, roommates on racial abuse

They called us "dhandewali", claimed we engage in sex work for Rs 500 by running a massage parlour, only because we are from the Northeast, recalled a UPSC aspirant from Arunachal Pradesh who, along with her two roommates were allegedly subjected to racial slurs by their neighbours following a minor disagreement.

On February 20, the women called an electrician at their fourth-floor rented flat in south Delhi's Malviya Nagar around 3.30 pm for getting an air conditioner installed. During the process, dust and debris from the drilling work fell to the floor below, prompting objections from their neighbours, Harsh Singh and his wife Ruby Jain.

What began as a minor disagreement soon turned ugly, with the three Arunachali women alleging that the couple hurled abuses and made derogatory and racial remarks targeting them and the northeastern community.

Speaking to PTI Videos, one of the women who is preparing for the UPSC, said, "Instead of talking about the main issue, they started targeting the Northeast. They kept saying that northeastern people are illiterate. We do 'dhandhebazi' (sex work) for Rs 500. They even threatened to beat me up."

Harsh and Ruby, who are also tenants in the same building, allegedly came upstairs and began arguing with them over the debris.

"We live on the fourth floor, and they live on the first floor. We had called an electrician to install an air conditioner. As he had to drill a small hole to fit a box, some dust fell onto the balcony of the neighbours on the ground floor. It was a minor issue, but they began abusing our electrician," she said.

The woman said they immediately apologised, saying that it was unintentional.

"We apologised and explained it wasn't intentional, but they kept hurling more insults at us," she said, adding that the argument soon turned personal and the couple started targeting their northeastern identity.

The women said they were shocked when the couple involved the police over what they described as a trivial issue.

"Since the dispute was minor, we did not expect them to call the police. But they did, and even got a case filed against us. The police came and noted our names, yet the couple continued hurling racial slurs at us in front of the officer," she said.

A purported video of the confrontation, which is circulating on social media, shows Ruby allegedly accusing the women of engaging in sex work, while Harsh claims they run a massage parlour.

In the video, the accused woman can allegedly be heard calling the northeastern women "momo" and saying, "Rs 500 mei massage parlour mei kaam karne waali dhandhewali (You work at massage parlours as sex workers for Rs 500)."

"Are you sitting here to do business? 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. In the video, the policeman is also seen intervening and trying to pacify the situation.

The Arunachali woman further alleged that when she confronted Harsh over his comment about running a massage parlour, his wife made an even more objectionable remark.

"When I asked him why he was saying that, his wife asked me to go and sleep with him," she said.