New Delhi :  A woman from Manipur and her third-gender friend from Assam were allegedly assaulted after objecting to harassment by a group of men near a park close to the Saket District Court in south Delhi on Sunday evening, police said.

According to preliminary information, the two were taking a walk in the park when a group of men allegedly passed derogatory remarks at them. The situation escalated after one of the victims objected to the comments.

“When one of the women objected to the remarks, an argument broke out and the accused allegedly assaulted her,” a police officer said. The woman sustained minor injuries in the incident and was taken to Safdarjung Hospital for medical examination and treatment.

Police said a team reached the spot soon after receiving information about the incident and contacted the victim. “Teams are in constant touch with her, and further action will be taken based on her statement,” the officer added.

Sources said efforts are underway to identify and trace the accused persons involved in the assault. The victims reportedly told police that they had also faced similar verbal harassment in the area on previous occasions.

The incident has drawn condemnation from several quarters, including leaders from the Northeast. Reacting to the incident, Conrad K. Sangma, Chief Minister of Meghalaya, expressed anger over repeated attacks on people from the region and urged authorities to take strict action.

In a post on X, tagging Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, Sangma wrote that he was “angered by the repeated attacks on Northeast people in mainland India.”

“The physical attack on two of our people from Manipur and Assam near Saket Court, Delhi is sickening. Racial bullying should not be accepted as the new normal and we must act against it. Urge the authorities to take stringent action,” he said.

The incident adds to a series of recent cases in which people from the Northeast have reported racial discrimination in other parts of the country.

In February, the Delhi Police arrested a married couple after three women from Arunachal Pradesh filed an FIR alleging racial abuse and intimidation. The accused, identified as Ruby Jain and her husband Harsh Jain, were taken into custody following an investigation into the complaint registered at Malviya Nagar Police Station.