New Delhi, November 9, 2009: Police in Gurgaon are failing to show empathy and sensitivity towards the victims of sexual and other physical violence, especially those from the North-Eastern states of India.

Policemen at the DLF Phase 2 police station refused to register the complaints of a Naga girl who claims to have been molested by a show room manager in the Gurgaon Metropolitan Mall. The 50 hour delay in registering the complaint has given long enough time for the culprit to come up with ideas to confront the victim.

The accused has threatened the victim, her friends and North East Support Centre & Helpline personnel. He wants them to refrain from lodging a complaint in the police station.

North East Support Centre & Helpline received a threatening call from some one who called himself “Sarpunch” of Sikanderpur, where the victims reside and said, “Mistaken are happened, the accused is my relative; do not lodge complaint in Police station, his career will be spoiled, let use compromised.” (sic)

The Commissioner Police of Gurgaon was informed about this matter through a letter dated November 7, 2009 and North East Support Centre & Helpline spoke to Police Officer on duty at DLF Phase 2 police station and Additional Commission Police Mr. Sumit Kumar. Both senior police officers on duty repeatedly said that they will talk to the victim and accused.

Advocate Lansinglu Rongmei, President of North East Support Centre & Helpline reacts, “As per the guidelines of Court, the statement of the victim is enough for Police on duty to register the complaint and thereafter police might take action and carry on the verification.”

In 2007, the Gurgaon DLF Phase 2 police station, had refused to register a complaint regarding the rape of a minor girl from Manipur. They waited till they were pressed by Mr. Mahendra Singh, then Gurgaon Commission of Police who was contacted by Dr. John Dayal – member of National Integration Council.

Reluctance of police to register cases and take action accordingly will give a negative message to the accused and others who make advances on girls from the north-eastern states. Overlooking cases like these will definitely make this menace of racial discrimination and harassment worse.

North East Support Centre & Helpline is planning to approach National Commission for Women, National Human Rights Commission, National Commission for SC/ST and Civil Societies and Human Rights groups.

Rampant attacks on North East Communities continues.

On November 6 – A 20-year-old girl from Ukhrul district, Manipur belonging to Tangkhul tribe, was molested by her Show room manager in Metropolitan Mall, Gurgaon at 9.20PM. He showed her nude pictures on his PC. She had rejected his advances.

On November 4 – A 22-year-old boy from Churachandpur district, Manipur, belonging to Paite tribe, was beaten up by locals at Sikanderpur, Gurgaon at 9 pm

On November 3 – Two boys aged 20 from Ukhrul district, Manipur belonging to Tangkhul Naga tribe, working in a Mall in Gurgaon were severely attacked at 9pm in Sikanderpur Gurgaon, Haryana by locals.

On November 3 – Two girls in their 20s, from Ukhrul district, Manipur, belonging to Tangkhul Naga tribe, were working in a Mall in Gurgaon. They were attacked and pushed into a drain in Sikanderpur, Gurgaon at 8 pm. They managed to flee the crime scene.

On October 25 – A 19-year-old girl from Ukhrul district, Manipur, belonging to Tangkhul Naga tribe was murdered by an IIT PhD scholar in Munirka after she rejected his advances.

On October 22 – A 21-year-old Jamia Millia Islamia student from Arunachal Pradesh was molested by a group of school boys inside their school in South Delhi.

On October 15 - A 23-year-old Call Centre employee from Mao district, Manipur, belonging to Mao tribe, was attacked in Naraina, New Delhi, while coming from work at 10 PM.

On October 12 - A Naga couple from North East India was severely beaten up by locals in Delhi late on Saturday night. The police officer on duty waited for 20 hours before he registered their complaint.

On October 12 – A 24-year-old girl from North East was dragged inside a Maruti van near Sarojini Nagar. She managed to raise an alarm and was saved by a passerby.

The North East Support Centre & Helpline is a combined initiative of various human rights activists, social workers, students, journalists and lawyers seeking to prevent harassment and abuses meted out to women, North East People and tribal communities of different states.