FIR Registered After Three Northeastern Women Allege Racial Abuse in South Delhi

Delhi: 3 northeastern women face racial abuse, called 'dhandhewali'; FIR registered

PTI, Feb 22, 2026, New Delhi : Three women from Arunachal Pradesh were allegedly subjected to racial slurs, humiliation and intimidation by their neighbours, who called them "dhandhewali", following a dispute over some repair work at their rented flat in south Delhi's Malviya Nagar.

The police said an FIR under BNS sections pertaining to outraging a woman's modesty and promoting enmity on grounds of religion, race, etc. has been registered against two people -- Harsh Singh and his wife Ruby Jain.

On February 20, 2026, the women had called an electrician at their fourth-floor flat around 3.30 pm for getting an air conditioner installed.

A senior police officer said 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.

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

A purported video of the incident also has been making rounds on social media.

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 man, identified by police as Harsh Singh, is also allegedly heard using derogatory remarks during the heated exchange.

The accused woman was also seen saying that the man they are talking to is a son of a "big politician".

The victims are seen confronting the couple in the video.

"Everyone heard what you said about my image. You made false allegations that I drink alcohol. Go check my room if you find any bottles there," one of the northeastern women can be heard saying.

In another portion of the video, the accused woman is heard making further offensive remarks. "Why don't you sleep with him? Go to my bedroom. You will come to know how old is he," she says.

The Arunachali women further alleged that they were subjected to racist abuse. The accused duo, in the video, can be heard calling the victims "gutter-chaap" and telling them to "go and sell momos" and saying "northeast people are shit".

At one point, the accused woman, in a perceived attempt to assert social and economic superiority, also says, "Teri aukaat nahi hai... custom officer ka beta hai woh... politician ka beta hai. (You have no standards. He is the son of a customs officer... a politician's son.)"

The FIR was registered at Malviya Nagar police station under BNS sections 79 (word intended to insult a woman's modesty), 351(2) (criminal intimidation), 3(5) (common intention) and 196 (promoting enmity on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc.) against Harsh Singh and his wife Ruby Jain, the police said.

However, no arrests have been made in the matter so far.

Section 196 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita is a non-bailable and cognisable offence.

"No physical injuries were reported. However, the complainants have alleged mental harassment and humiliation," the senior officer said.

The women have demanded a formal apology from the accused, stating that the remarks were not merely personal but targeted the dignity of the northeastern community.

According to sources, the situation worsened after the incident when a building broker allegedly informed the women that they would have to vacate the flat within two months due to repair work planned in the building.

The complainants have expressed apprehension about their safety and future accommodation, stating that they felt isolated and insulted in a city where they had come to live and work.

The police said further investigation into the matter is underway.

New Delhi, Feb 22 (PTI) They called us "dhandewali", claimed we engage in sex work for Rs 500 by running a massage parlour, only because we are from 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 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.

In the video, Ruby can be heard saying, "Try sleeping with my husband and see how much strength he has. You run a massage parlour, you'll find out."

Another neighbour from Arunachal Pradesh, who stepped in to defuse the situation, said she too was verbally abused.

"The man's wife kept boasting that her father is a customs officer and threatened me, saying 'we'll make you strip and dance'," she alleged. The women also claimed that the couple falsely accused them of discriminating against them on the basis of caste.

"They said we were targeting them because of caste, which is completely untrue. We don't even think that way," one of the women said.

An FIR was registered at Malviya Nagar police station under BNS sections 79 (word intended to insult a woman's modesty), 351(2) (criminal intimidation), 3(5) (common intention) and 196 (promoting enmity on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc.) against Harsh Singh and his wife Ruby Jain, the police said.

However, no arrests have been made in the matter so far.

Section 196 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita is a non-bailable and cognizable offense.

Advocate Reena Rai, representing the three women, said the incident reflects the persistent racial prejudice faced by people from the Northeast in the national capital.

"As neighbours, they should have provided these women, who live far away from home, a sense of security. Instead, they harassed them and made filthy remarks," said Rai, who hails from Sikkim.

"We are as much Indian as anyone else. Why are we treated like outsiders just because we are from the Northeast? We, too, have the right to live with equality and dignity," she added.

The women have demanded a formal apology from the accused, saying the remarks were not just directed at them but were an affront to the entire Northeastern community.