2 held in racial assault on woman doctor from Nagaland

Two persons have been arrested in connection with an alleged racial attack on a woman doctor from Nagaland posted at AIIMS Gorakhpur, an incident that has sparked concern over the safety of healthcare professionals and recurring instances of discrimination against people from Northeast India.
According to police, the accused– identified as Suraj Gupta and Amrit Vishwakarma, residents of Deoria district– were arrested after the doctor filed a complaint alleging stalking, racial slurs and physical assault near the institute’s Gate No. 2 on Sunday evening.
The victim, a third-year resident specialising in obstetrics and gynaecology, was returning to campus from a mall at around 8 pm when three men allegedly followed her for more than a kilometre. The complaint states that the accused passed obscene remarks and racially discriminatory comments before one of them allegedly touched her inappropriately.
The National Federation of Resident Doctors of AIIMS and INIs (NAFORD) highlighted the incident on social media, describing the episode as deeply traumatic and raising concerns about the safety of resident doctors. The federation alleged that the attackers used stereotypes related to the victim’s North Eastern origin while harassing her.
“She tried to confront them, but instead they stalked and followed her on the road toward AIIMS Gate No. 2, hurling abuses & slang. One of them deliberately removed his shirt to intimidate. Near the army camp at Gate No. 2, one man suddenly slapped even her on the buttocks,” NAFORD post read.
“This left deep shock, humiliation & trauma on our resident doctor. As a doctor dedicated to women’s health & bringing new life, she was violated near her own institution,” it added.
Police said a case has been registered under multiple provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including sections related to assault with intent to outrage modesty, obscene acts, criminal intimidation and intentional insult likely to provoke a breach of peace.
Authorities noted that the doctor raised an alarm during the incident, forcing the accused to flee. She was not physically injured, but the episode has renewed discussions around the vulnerability of professionals from the Northeast working in mainland institutions.