‘Should not be accepted as new normal’: Meghalaya Chief Minister on assault of Manipuri woman in Delhi

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Monday said racial bullying against people from the region cannot be accepted as the "new normal". Sangma was reacting to reports of two persons from Manipur and Assam being assaulted in Delhi’s Saket District Court complex on Sunday.

"Angered by the repeated attacks on North East people in mainland India. The physical attack on two of our people from Manipur and Assam near Saket Court, Delhi is sickening. Racial bullying should not be accepted as the new normal, and we must act against it. Urge the authorities to take stringent action," Sangma said.

Manipuri woman, friend attacked

According to the police, the incident happened on Sunday evening when a woman from Manipur and her friend were walking in a park close to the Saket court complex.

A group of men allegedly commented on them, they said.

The woman who suffered injuries during the incident was taken to Safdarjung Hospital for medical examination and treatment.

"When one of the women objected to the remarks, an argument broke out, and the accused allegedly assaulted her," a police officer said.

"A police team reached the spot after receiving information about the incident and contacted the victim. Teams are in constant touch with her, and further action will be taken based on her statement," he said.

Delhi Police responds

Responding to Sangma’s post on X, the Delhi Police said, a criminal case has been registered under appropriate sections of law.

“Delhi Police teams are in constant touch with the victim and are providing all necessary assistance. Multiple teams have already been deployed to identify and apprehend the accused at the earliest,” the police said.

“Delhi Police does not tolerate such incidents. Strict legal action will be ensured against the culprits,” the police said.

Later, the Delhi Police said a juvenile had been apprehended, and efforts are on to nab the other accused.

Second incident in Delhi

This is the second incident of racial abuse of people from the North East in Delhi in recent times.

In February, three women from Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur were subjected to racial slurs and intimidation by neighbours in Malviya Nagar over a minor dispute.

The accused couple, Harsh Singh and Ruby Jain, were arrested on February 25 after videos of the incident went viral on social media.

Court denies bail to accused

On Monday, a Delhi court refused to grant bail to the couple.

The counsel for the accused argued that the present case was merely a spontaneous dispute between two neighbours, where both parties used questionable language and derogatory remarks. It was not a case of racial discrimination that attracted the charges under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, as the accused were not aware that the complainants were tribal. They did not use any language specifically targeting their tribal identity, he said.

The counsel for the complainant opposed the bail plea as the investigation is still ongoing and the accused may attempt to influence the prosecution witnesses if released.