New Delhi: Two women from the Northeast were molested in broad daylight in Delhi. What was even more appalling is that the police turned a blind eye and filed an FIR only two days later.

Monika, a gutsy cyber café owner in Delhi’s Gandhivihar, had slapped a man for misbehaving with her sister, Anjali.

But the main accused returned with friends who dragged out the two sisters and allegedly molested them.

The group of 25 men also beat up the girls’ brother. "They pulled me down from my cyber café and then, I don't know what happened to my sister and brother," said Monika.

The accused fled from the scene as soon Monika's friends arrived on the spot. The victims have said that the police was reluctant to file a complaint.

"They said that everything will be taken care of and there is nothing to worry about. But till today no one has been arrested," Monika said.

An FIR was filed two days later and the police have said they are investigating the matter. But this is not the first time that students from the Northeast have become soft targets.

In September last year, girls from IP College were molested by potential police recruits. A month earlier, a Manipuri girl was assaulted by her landlord.

In November, another girl from Manipur was sexually assaulted in Safdarjang enclave. A minor from the Northeast is still suffering after she was molested three times in December by her houseowner in Gurgaon.

Earlier, in May 2005, a student from the Northeast was abducted and gang-raped in Dhaula Kuan. According to some estimates, 50 per cent of sexual harassment cases in the Delhi region involve girls from the Northeast.

But police officers blame this on the way the students dress Incidents like these, however, only go on to prove that the Delhi Police is yet to take any concrete steps towards ensuring the safety of women from Northeastern in the Capital.