The Bengaluru police on Thursday arrested five people allegedly involved in the assault of a Tanzanian woman student even as the Karnataka Government denied that the incident was linked to a racial attack and that the Tanzanian woman was stripped or paraded naked. The Centre assured the Tanzanian Ambassador that the guilty will not be spared and enough provisions will be taken to ensure the safety of African students in India.
Karnataka Home Minister G Parmeshwara said the brutal attack was a response to accident. “It’s not a racial attack. It is just a response to the accident. Bengaluru does not have that kind of an attitude,” said Parmeshwara. The arrested persons are lokesh Bangari, Venkatesh Ramaiah, Saleem Pasha, Banu Prakash and Rehmatullah.
The 21-year-old Tanzanian female student was allegedly beaten up and stripped by a mob in a case of “mistaken identity” after a woman was mowed down by a car in Bengaluru. The car was driven by a Sudanese, Mohd Ismail, under the influence of liquor when he hit one K Sanaullah and his wife. “The woman died on the spot. Sanaullah was injured and he was taken to the hospital. In the incident, Ismail was also injured. During this time, around three to four people gathered and set the car on fire,” he said.
The Tanzanian girl, who is a second year BBA student of Acharya College, was also allegedly beaten up by the angry crowd even though she and her friends had no connection with the car accident. “Near the spot, some students were coming in another car. Jamaal Ibrahim, the driver, and a Tanzanian student and others were then attacked by the frenzied mob mistaking them to have caused the fatal accident,” Parmeshwara added. “The allegations that their clothes were torn off and they were paraded naked have not been verified as per the investigation so far,” the Minister added.
Meanwhile, Minister for External Affairs Sushma Swaraj had meeting with Foreign Secretary and senior officers of the MEA in New Delhi. Swaraj while condemning the episode had sought a report from Karnataka Chief Minister K Siddaramaiah. Terming the incident to be “shameful and regrettable” Swaraj asked the CM to take stringent measures to prevent repeat of such incidents in future. The report received from Karnataka police chief has been shared with Tanzanian Ambassador in New Delhi, John WH Kijazi.
“The Minister conveyed to the Ambassador that the guilty will not be spared and enough provisions will be taken to ensure safety of African students in India,” MEA spokesperson Vikas Swarup said. Terming the incident as “isolated”, Swarup added the incident was result of a “chain reaction” following a road accident.
“We have assured our African friends that necessary legal action will be taken and stringent punishment will be given to those involved in the attack and that we will take all steps to ensure safety and security of African students in India,” Swarup said. There were about 5,000 African students in the country.
The MEA is facilitating Kijazi’s visit to Bengaluru on Friday to meet the aggrieved student. He will be accompanied by a team of senior officials from the MEA. Meanwhile, the MEA has also reached out to other States to sensitise people on the issues pertaining to foreign students.
The Union Home Ministry too has sought detailed report from the State Government about the circumstances leading to the assault of the Tanzanian woman, action taken against those allegedly involved in it and steps taken for the protection of the victim.