After attacks on Nigerian students, Kenyan woman assaulted in Greater Noida
The complainant was travelling in an autorickshaw when several men pulled her out and beat her up.
A group of unidentified men on Wednesday assaulted a Kenyan woman in Greater Noida, two days after six Nigerian students were attacked by a mob at two separate places.
The woman, who has informed the police about the assault, was travelling in an auto-rickshaw when the attackers pulled her out and allegedly molested her, India Today reported. They beat her up when she tried to seek help. “There were no visible marks of injury, she has been discharged,” Kailash Hospital’s Medical Superintendent Sanil Kapoor told ANI.
Greater Noida has been on the boil since March 24 evening when a Class 12 student went missing. Soon, rumours spread that the teenager had last been seen with a group of Nigerians. A crowd had raided the home of these African students and, when they failed to find Manish Khari, they accused the Nigerians of having eaten him up. The 19-year-old died of a suspected drug overdose on Saturday and five Nigerian students living in the neighbourhood were booked for murder. The students were later released for lack of evidence.
On Monday, a group of residents organised a protest at the Pari Chowk junction. Four Nigerian students were injured when a group of more than 100 locals attacked them, demanding that all Africans living in residential colonies in Greater Noida be asked to vacate their rented houses immediately. The Greater Noida Police on Tuesday had conducted a flag march on Tuesday and booked almost 600 people for rioting and another 44 for attempt to murder in connection with the attack. The police have arrested seven people so far.
In a related incident, two other African students were attacked inside a Delhi mall on Monday evening. Endurance Amarawa and Precious Amalcima suffered facial injuries and minor fractures when a mob assaulted them in Ansal Plaza. Atul Saxena, the store manager of Levi’s outlet where the students had sought refuge, told IANS that around 100-150 people barged into his store and beat up one of the men. “The other hid in a trial room. He too was dragged out and beaten up,” Saxena told IANS. Saxena said the assaulters used leather belts from the store to attack the students. “Some among the mob ransacked the shop and lifted goods too,” he added.
Minister for External Affairs Sushma Swaraj on Tuesday said she had spoken to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Adityanath about the matter. “He has assured that there will be a fair and impartial investigation into this unfortunate incident,” she had tweeted. However, Gautam Buddh Nagar district magistrate said the violence against Nigerian residents in the area was not a hate crime. Nagendra P Singh said the incident was triggered by a rumour spread by a few people.