Manipur woman leads by example - Delhi police to felicitate braveheart with appreciation letter and Rs 5000

SUMIR KARMAKAR, TT, Guwahati, Aug. 20: A 26-year-old woman from Manipur, who tackled a man in New Delhi yesterday when he allegedly tried to molest her and got him arrested, is being projected by Delhi police as "an example" of how to fight abuse faced by people from the Northeast living in metros.

The woman, who was returning from a market around noon at Khirki extension under Malviya Nagar police station in south Delhi, was chased by Ritesh Kumar who allegedly tried to force himself on her.

Instead of getting nervous, the girl caught his shirt, scratched his face with her long nails and hairpins and shouted for help. Hearing her, people from the nearby areas rushed to her rescue. Someone in the crowd called the police control room and a police van immediately rushed to the spot and caught Kumar.

"There were very few people in the area and he took advantage of that. Though the boy forced himself on her and even tried to silence her, she displayed bravery and fought with all her might. She used her presence of mind and kept shouting at the top of her voice for help. She injured him with her nails and handbag and also slapped and kicked him with the pointed heels of her stilettos. Finally he was caught by a police patrol van and taken to a nearby police station," said a source in the special police unit for Northeast people in New Delhi.

The girl reached the office of Robin Hibu, inspector-general of Delhi police and nodal officer of the special unit, in the afternoon seeking his intervention for strict action against the accused. Hibu took up the matter with Malviya Nagar police station and requested them to investigate the case expeditiously. The accused hails from Kalkaji in south Delhi.

Impressed by her display of courage and presence of mind, Hibu immediately decided to felicitate and reward her with an appreciation letter and Rs 5,000 cash on August 24. She will be felicitated at the conference hall of the special unit.

"She is an example of courage for all youths from the Northeast living in Delhi, especially the girls who are the targets of molesters, eve- teasers and bear other discrimination silently. We hope girls will give fitting replies to roadside Romeos and help us take action," Hibu, who hails from Arunachal Pradesh, said. The special unit was constituted in February last year following the death of Arunachal teenager Nido Tania in a hate crime in 2014.

The unit's helpline (1093) received over 1,500 calls, seeking police assistance last year. The cases are related to murder/attempt to murder, rape/attempt to rape, molestation, eve-teasing, racial abuse, dispute over salaries and quarrels with landlords, among others.

There are over seven lakh people from the Northeast living in the national capital.