Bengaluru police on Friday arrested four more persons for assaulting a Tanzanian architecture lady student and suspended two policemen for not acting to prevent the assault despite being present at the venue. So far nine persons have been arrested in this case and search is on for more culprits by the Karnataka police which has now got into damage control mode. On Friday, the Tanzanian High Commissioner John WH Kijazi, along with officers from Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), met the victim and spoke to other African students about the problems they face in the city.
“The lady said there were four people in the car, other friends said there were five. We are verifying how many were there actually. She also said in her statement that there were policemen at the spot of assault. Two constables have been suspended; some more action will be taken,” Bengaluru Police Commissioner NS Megharikh said.
Karnataka Government has assured the Tanzanian envoy and the team from MEA that the State Government would take all necessary steps to prevent any recurrences of such events in future. Home Minister G Parameshwara told the media after the meeting with the Tanzanian envoy WH Kijazi and a team from the MEA that the incident was unfortunate but given assurance that it such incidents would not recur.
He said he had also reassured them that such incidents would not recur. "And we have also explained the long-term action plan to them considering the foreign students, particularly the African students, about their safety, peaceful co-existence along with the community and they are convinced about it."
Asked about the overstay of foreign students, he said he had asked officials to make verifications in that regard. "We will keep in touch with MEA and respective consulates and instituitions and inform them and take necessary steps."
Meanwhile, Union law Minister Sadananda Gowda asked the Karnataka Government to form a special squad to keep a watch on foreign students, in the wake of the Sunday incident.
Attacking the Congress-led State Government for not acting on locals' complaint regarding the "wrong" behaviour of certain foreign students, he sought Central Government's intervention to find the truth about the assault.
He also said that innocent people should not be arrested as was being alleged by
the locals.
Facing attack by BJP for being "silent", Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi in Delhi said strict action will be taken in the incident and he had told the Chief Minister that "strict action is to be taken and it will be taken".
"I condemn 100 per cent this type of action," the Congress Vice President told reporters in New Delhi, adding he spoke to the party General Secretary in-charge of Karnataka to look into the matter and speak to the Chief Minister.
The Tanzanian student was beaten and stripped by a group of locals in Bengaluru after they assumed she was part of an incident in which a Sudanese man had run over a local woman. The Tanzanian student was travelling in another car, a Wagon-R, along with four others. The young woman, who arrived on the spot around 30 minutes later, was dragged out of the car and stripped by the mob. The victim told the police in her complaint that when she tried to get on a bus in order to escape the assault, people on the bus pushed her back towards the mob. This is the sixth incident against African students in last one year in Bengaluru.
Taking cognisance of the matter National Human Righs Commission has issued notices to the Chief Secretary and the DGP of Karnataka government, seeking a report on the matter within two weeks. On Friday, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi condemned the incident and sought strong action against the perpetrators.
Meanwhile, Union law Minister Sadananda Gowda visited the family of the deceased in the accident and blamed law and order situation under Congress Government. He even demanded special squad to “keep a watch on foreign students” and “their illegal activities.”
Gowda said that the behaviour of a section of foreign students have been brought to the notice of the police by locals, but they have failed to act on the complaints. He said that these students were indulging in illegal activities and it was “intolerable”. Gowda blamed police for harassing BJP karyakartas (workers) in this case.