Extremism

In a hate-crime, Kashmiri woman in Delhi called a ‘terrorist’, assaulted, threatened that her face will be ‘burnt with cigarettes’

‘She threatened me that she would throw me from the balcony’

New Delhi: A Kashmir woman was “physically assaulted and verbally abused” by her landlady in South Delhi’s East of Kailash neighbourhood on Thursday.

Noor Bhat, a resident of Jammu and Kashmir took to twitter and wrote that her landlady ‘barged into her flat and took out the furniture, clothes and other belongings including the passport.’

The incident came to light after Noor narrated her ordeal on the micro-blogging site Twitter and ended up garnering massive support from Twitterati.

Quoting Noor, a report by Clarion India said that she was at her cousin’s place in Kalkaji when she got a call from the landlady who alerted her that there has been a robbery in the building and that she should come home.

Barely few minutes had passed and Noor got another call from the landlady telling her: “It is not the robbery but we have broken the door of your flat and taken out the furniture and other stuff.”

Shocked by the call, Noor rushed to her residence and saw the door of her flat was open and her belongings were missing. After this, the first thing Noor did was to video record the scene and call the police.

The report added that the landlady in the meantime came with a male ‘police constable’.

“We told her you are our landlady; we would speak with you only. Send this man first,” the report quoted Noor as having said.

On this, the landlady allegedly started verbal abuses, using political and ethnic slurs.

“You are a terrorist, you spread terrorism. Your father is a terrorist,” the landlady told Noor and threatened her.

She also grabbed Noor by her shoulder and pulled her hair, Noor alleged.

“I was hurt by this behaviour,” she said alleging, “it looked like a hate crime.”

The Station House Officer of Amar Colony police station downplayed the incident saying it is a dispute between the two sides which has been going on for some days. “It’s related to non-payment of dues, we have heard the complaint but have not filed an FIR.”

“We have asked both parties to come to the police station on Thursday morning. We will hear them and then proceed,” he said.

Noor said she has cleared all the dues until last month and she can prove it with documents. “The rent is transferred through bank account and electricity bills through BSES,” she said.

Noor, who has recently finished her graduation from Amity University, said that she was grateful for the support she got on social media after her tweet went viral. She said when she posted the tweet she did not know that it was going to attract such a huge response.

“I would not have posted it on Twitter if she had not called me a terrorist. I thought people should know it and I am glad for the support I received.”

Nasir Khuehami, spokesperson of the Jammu and Kashmir Students Association (JKSA) condemned the incident as he said that the association is ready to assist the victim in every possible way.

He also said that discrimination against Kashmiri students living in Indian cities must stop.

Chairperson of the Delhi Commission for Women, Swati Maliwal, took suo-moto cognizance of the matter and issued a notice to the Delhi Police.

She said through a tweet that the police is being asked to file FIR and take action against the culprits.

Meanwhile, a report by news agency IANS said that Police has registered a case on the allegations made by the woman and have started an investigation.

“Noor Bhat has given a written complaint and a case u/s 448/380/457/323/509 IPC has been registered at PS Amar Colony and the same is being investigated,” the news agency quoted R P Meena, DCP South East as saying.

The report said that landlady has filed a police complaint in this regard and investigation for both the cases have started.

 

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