They pushed us out of our house: Father of girls who went on frenzy in Delhi

Bhavya Jain, 23, and Charvi Jain, 21, are currently in Mandoli jail over charges of attempted murder for when they used their car as a battering ram

Two sisters arrested for allegedly ramming their car into police and residents in east Delhi had pushed their parents out of their house a year ago, one of the parents told HT on Monday, speaking of a relationship that was frayed after they were not allowed to go overseas for their studies.

The sisters were arrested late on Saturday night after they fled their Vasundhara Enclave apartment complex, hitting a police vehicle and dragging a bike for several kilometers before on the way before being chased and caught by law enforcement. (HT Photo)

Bhavya Jain, 23, and Charvi Jain, 21, are currently in Mandoli jail over charges of attempted murder for when they used their car as a battering ram. Their father Neeraj Jain met them on Monday. “They asked for help with bail,” Jain, 55, who runs a printing press in Paharganj, told HT.

The sisters were arrested late on Saturday night after they fled their Vasundhara Enclave apartment complex, hitting a police vehicle and dragging a bike for several kilometers before on the way before being chased and caught by law enforcement. A day earlier, they allegedly assaulted a former UP deputy superintendent of police for objecting to their honking, and in September, they had allegedly attacked a 58-year-old security guard over a water-related issue.

“They both wanted to go abroad for further studies and I refused because I didn’t think they’ll be able to live on their own,” said Jain. “They got upset with me over my decision and started fighting over it. Eventually, they asked us to move out of the apartment and said that they’ll live on their own. My wife and I left because we didn’t want our issues to become public.”

The sisters, both Delhi University graduates with Bhavya holding a master’s in psychology and Charvi recently completing her graduation, were academic achievers who scored above 95% in higher secondary. Their mother, a homemaker undergoing treatment for breast cancer which she was diagnosed with about six months ago, has chosen to keep her name private.

The family had moved to the ground floor residence in Anekant Apartments about three years ago after spending decades in their ancestral home in Paharganj following the death of Jain’s father, who had bought the East Delhi apartment.

According to residents, the sisters had established a reputation as troublemakers in the complex. A resident, speaking on condition of anonymity, said, “They fought with whoever tried to speak to them. On Saturday evening, a few people had gone to speak to them about why they assaulted a fellow resident on Friday night but they got so violent.”

Police officers who visited the women’s house on Saturday evening following Sharma’s complaint were met with abuse from inside the house. The situation escalated when residents and police gathered outside demanding to speak with them. The sisters eventually emerged, got into their car, and attempted to flee, damaging property and endangering lives in the process.

A senior police officer who interrogated the sisters said they showed disrespect during questioning. “When I asked them about their father, they addressed him in a derogatory manner. They also used foul language for other residents of the apartment complex. They had no respect for the uniform or the fact that they were inside a police station,” the officer said, asking not to be named.

Jain defended his daughters’ actions on Saturday, saying they felt “ganged up on”. “They are young women who had no support and everyone standing against them. The car which they drove was mine and police had flattened the tyres. They acted on their instinct to save themselves,” he said. A police officer confirmed they had indeed flattened the tyres to prevent the women from fleeing.

The sisters have been remanded to two-day judicial custody and may be taken on police remand for interrogation. “We will then assess if they need a psychological evaluation,” a senior police officer said.

“Whatever happened to my daughters is an example of how important it is to have support of your parents,” said Jain, who couldn’t believe their “careers are now over.”

The police officer offered a different perspective: “It’s an example of how education cannot teach one to act in a civilised manner.”