India, Feb. 23 -- They called us "dhandewali", claimed we engage in sex work for Rs 500 by running a massage parlour, only because we are from the Northeast, recalled a UPSC aspirant from Arunachal Pradesh who, along with her two roommates were allegedly subjected to racial slurs by their neighbours following a minor disagreement.

On February 20, the women called an electrician at their fourth-floor rented flat in south Delhi's Malviya Nagar around 3.30 pm for getting an air conditioner installed. During the process, dust and debris from the drilling work fell to the floor below, prompting objections from their neighbours, Harsh Singh and his wife Ruby Jain.

What began as a minor disagreement soon turned ugly, with the three Arunachali ...