Assaulted for speaking English in Delhi, alleges tattoo artist

Deputy police commissioner Benita Mary Jaiker said she would seek an update on the action taken in the case.

A 27-year-old tattoo artist from Dehradun has alleged that a man assaulted, hurled racial slurs, and also got his dog to attack him for “speaking English” at a grocery store in South Delhi’s Khirki Extension last week. A case was registered at the Malviya Nagar police station over the assault.

Anshuman Thapa, the tattoo artist, said he suffered dog bites and had to undergo surgery. His family members rushed to Delhi from Dehradun after learning about the incident and took him back. (Representative image)

Anshuman Thapa, the tattoo artist, said he suffered dog bites and had to undergo surgery. His family members rushed to Delhi from Dehradun after learning about the incident and took him back. They fear for their lives and have decided not to return to Delhi.

“The man who assaulted me and ordered his dog to attack me is a local resident of Khirki Extension. As I have not been getting any support from the police, I fear that I may be killed by that man if I returned to Delhi to pursue the case or earn a livelihood,” Thapa said over the phone.

Thapa said he went to the grocery store to buy water bottles around 11 pm on May 6. He added he was speaking with the shopkeeper in English when the man arrived with his pet dog and interrupted them saying he was talking about him.

“Despite telling him that I was not saying anything about him, the man started arguing with me about why I was speaking in English. He called me a Nepali. When I told him I am from Dehradun, he grabbed me. As I pushed him back, he ordered his dog to attack me. The dog bit all over my body. I hid behind the counter at the shop. The man dragged me by my hair and let his dog attack me. I ran for my life during which I also lost my cell phone,” said Thapa. He added nobody came to help him.

Deputy police commissioner Benita Mary Jaiker said she will seek an update on the action taken in the case.