Landlady Manhandled Me & Called Me A Terrorist: Kashmiri Student

A First Information Report (FIR) was filed on 15 October by Delhi Police after the Kashmiri student’s allegations.

The woman also alleged that the landlady referred to her as a “terrorist”, made sexist comments and threatened to cause serious injury to her.

(Photo: Erum Gour/The Quint)

A First Information Report (FIR) was filed on 15 October by Delhi Police after a Kashmiri student alleged that her landlady broke in, took her belongings and furniture from the house, blamed her for stealing, and manhandled her.

The woman also alleged that the landlady referred to her as a “terrorist”, made sexist comments and threatened to cause serious injury to her.

Meanwhile, the landlady has also filed a complaint against the woman, the Delhi Police said.

WHAT THE WOMAN ALLEGES

The woman, a student of a university in NCR, hails from Srinagar and is staying in a rented accommodation in south Delhi.

On Wednesday, 14 October, the woman took to Twitter to allege that her landlady had broken into her house and harassed her.

The woman also shared a photo of an injury on her neck, with the word: “THIS IS WHAT SHE DID!!! (sic)“

Speaking to The Quint, the 22-year-old woman claimed that she was away when her landlady called her and asked her to come home as there had been a robbery.

“I gave my phone to my brother, who soon started yelling on the phone and asking her how could she trespass. Turns out there had not been a robbery. She accepted that she had broken into our house and taken all the furniture away and our things out. We went back home and the lock was broken, there was no furniture, everything was trashed here and there, my money was taken, almost all my clothes were taken.”

She further alleged that as they were trying to figure out what to do, the landlady came to the house accompanied by a constable and a man they did not know.

When she said that she will talk only to the landlady and not to the men with her as she didn’t know them, the landlady allegedly started abusing her.

“The landlady started abusing me...she said tum terrorist ho, tum aatank failane aye ho (you are a terrorist, you have come to spread terror),” the woman told The Quint.

She also alleged that the landlady threatened to seriously injure her and kill her, besides making sexist comments. On being asked what the constable was doing there, the girl said that he was just constantly telling everyone to quiet down.

The girl said that later she called the police on her own, as well.

WHAT THE POLICE SAID

DCP, South-West, RP Meena told The Quint that an FIR was registered after the tenant complained. Previously, the DCP had taken to Twitter to share the same.

Meena also told The Quint that the landlady had made the PCR call to which the police had responded. On being asked about the constable, who, according to the girl, was there with the landlady when the incident took place, Meena said that he had gone in response to the PCR call.

The DCP also said: “It has also come to notice that a dispute/quarrel has also taken place earlier over the payment of rent and not paying of electricity bills by the tenant. The electricity was also disconnected by the BSES.”

The matter is being probed further, Meena said.

He also said that the landlady too has filed a written complaint “and the same is also being examined”.

The FIR against the landlady has been filed under Sections 488 and 457 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) which deal with trespass; section 380 (theft in dwelling house); section 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) and section 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) of the Indian Penal Code.

PREVIOUS CLASHES WITH THE LANDLADY

The tenant told The Quint that this was not the first time the landlady had verbally abused her or made sexist remarks against her and her sister.

On one occasion, the woman claimed, the landlady had sent a man who had claimed to be from the BSES. According to the girl, the man had pushed her.

He had then acted like he was on the wrong floor, alleged the girl, and attempted to run away. When her sister chased him down, she allegedly found he was trying to take out their meter.

“He did not even have an official ID card,” the girl said. She said the man was old, and after consulting the police, they decided to drop the matter.

“We told the police we forgive him,” the woman said.

On another occasion, the landlady had allegedly smashed a bottle of wine in their house.

DCW TAKES COGNISANCE

The Delhi Commission for Women (DCW), on Thursday, took cognisance of the matter.

(Photo Courtesy: Nasir Khuehami/Twitter)

The Quint spoke to Rahul Tahiliani, Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to Chairperson of DCW, who said that they will ensure that proper action is taken in the matter.

“We saw her tweet last night, and spoke to her this morning. She shared what happened and the team is in touch with her,” informed Tahiliani. He further said:

“This matter is actually quite serious. The photos are also quite disturbing, and we have taken cognisance in the matter, issued notice to the police and considering the racial comments made and how she was manhandled, we will ensure that proper action is taken.”   

(The Quint tried to contact the landlady, but that has not been possible so far. This story will be updated once we do.)