Jaipur: A woman from Assam has alleged that she was racially abused, sexually harassed and assaulted by her neighbours at a residential complex in Jaipur on 31 October. Her husband has also alleged that the neighbours threatened to kill their three-year-old son, who witnessed the incident.
Rashmi Shikha Sharma and her husband Pankaj live at RR Homes’ Ecoworld 3 Apartment Complex in Adinath Nagar, Jaipur. They have named their neighbours, Abhinay Jain and his wife Soma Jain, residents of Flat 404, in a police complaint.
According to Pankaj, the incident began when Rashmi went to the terrace with their son to dry clothes. After noticing several clothes already hanging on the lines installed for residents, she enquired with the neighbours about whose clothes they were. An argument ensued after the Jains claimed the clothes belonged to them.
Pankaj alleged that when Rashmi and their son tried to leave in the lift, Abhinay stopped the lift gate, while Soma grabbed Rashmi by her hair and neck and assaulted her. He further alleged that Soma Jain banged Rashmi’s head against the lift wall. The family said the incident was captured on the apartment complex’s surveillance cameras.
Pankaj alleged that the couple made derogatory remarks about their Northeastern identity, calling them ‘Manipuris’, making offensive comments about their food habits and saying that Northeastern women were available for Rs 500. He also alleged that they threatened to kill the couple’s three-year-old son and threatened to parade Rashmi naked and throw her and the child from the terrace.
Their three-year-old son, who was present during the incident, ran down the stairs to alert his father.
“There is only one lift in the apartment. My three-year-old son ran down the stairs to inform me. He is a child and could not even balance properly. I could have lost two members of my family that day,” Pankaj said.
Rashmi lodged a complaint at Bindayaka Police Station in Jaipur West. The FIR, registered on 31 October, names Abhinay and Soma Jain as accused. In her complaint, Rashmi alleged that she was subjected to obscene gestures and indecent comments before being assaulted near the lift. She also alleged strangling and injuries. The complaint records a threat to throw her from the terrace.
The police registered the case under Sections 115(2), 126(2) and 74 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Section 115(2) deals with voluntarily causing hurt, Section 126(2) covers wrongful restraint, or preventing someone from moving in a direction they have a legal right to go, and Section 74 deals with assault or use of criminal force against a woman with the intention of outraging her modesty.
Pankaj said the family approached the police station at around 1 pm on 31 October and that the complaint was registered around 9 pm. He alleged that police personnel visited their residence around 2 am on 1 November, disturbing the family late at night. They told the family that an arrest would be made in the morning, he said. According to Pankaj, Rashmi’s medical test was conducted at around 12.30 pm on 1 November, and Abhinay was arrested around 1.30 pm. He was subsequently granted bail, Pankaj said.
Pankaj also alleged that the family struggled to get medical attention for Rashmi. He said they approached Harchaya Hospital on the night of 31 October but were denied treatment because the matter involved a police case. The family made three attempts to get Rashmi’s medical tests conducted on 1 November, at around 10 am, 11.30 am and 12.30 pm, he said.
A police officer privy to the investigation told ThePrint that the altercation began between the two women and had since been resolved. He said some “unparliamentary language” was used during the argument and confirmed that Rashmi was assaulted by another woman. He denied that any death threat had been made against the child.
When contacted, the accused family termed the allegations exaggerated. Abhinay Jain said: “It’s my wife’s mistake and we accept it, but now they are damaging my reputation in society. My wife has said sorry in the society meeting as well.”
The FIR records allegations of assault, wrongful restraint, obscene gestures and comments, and a threat to throw Rashmi from the terrace. It does not, however, mention the alleged racial remarks, the threat to kill the child or the threat to parade Rashmi naked. These allegations were made separately by Pankaj in his account of the incident.
ThePrint also attempted to reach DCP Rajesh Kumar Gupta for comment, but received no response.
(Edited by Nardeep Singh Dahiya)
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