The Siliguri Metropolitan Police on Tuesday detained two sisters from the city’s Hakimpara area for allegedly using racist and casteist slurs against young female tenants in the area.
After the video of the incident surfaced, prominent Pahadi leaders like Raju Bista and Anit Thapa have expressed their opinion on the issue.
Sources said the five young women, who are taking coaching for competitive exams from private institutes, live in a flat located on the ground floor of a multi-storey building.
They claimed that for the past few days, the accused duo – who live in a flat located on a different floor of the same building – had been creating trouble for the young women.
On Monday, the sisters made “racist and extremely indecent” comments on the young women.
“We were left with no option but to lodge a complaint with the Siliguri police. How could they pass such indecent remarks on us?” said one of the complainants.
During the abuse, one of the girls made a video and posted it on social media.
After the video went viral, many people reacted and demanded legal action against the two sisters.
On Tuesday, many people, including some acquaintances of the girls, reached the spot and staged a protest demanding an unconditional apology from the sisters who allegedly misbehaved.
As the crowd swelled and the protest continued, councillor of ward 17 (where the multi-storey apartment is located) Mili Sinha and member of mayor-in-council (education and cultural department) Shobha Subba reached the spot.
They tried to talk to the protesters but the police were informed as the situation worsened.
In time, both the accused sisters were taken into custody.
“These girls are students of Dooars and have come to Siliguri to prepare for various competitive exams. They alleged that yesterday (Monday) two women misbehaved with them and used abusive language,” Subba said.
Gorkhaland Territorial Administration chief Anit Thapa and Darjeeling MP Raju Bista wrote to the police commissioner demanding immediate action.
A representative of the Bharatiya Gorkha Janshakti Morcha led by Ajay Edwards said, “This is an undesirable incident. How can they (the two sisters) make such comments that hurt the sentiments of girls?”
Several parties protested in the Darjeeling hill region and Sikkim.
Senior police officials said they have registered a case under relevant sections of the BNS and Scheduled Castes and Scheduled groups (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
A police officer said, “An officer of the rank of Assistant Commissioner of Police will investigate the matter. The accused women have been brought to the police station for questioning.”
