No racial angle to Nigerian's assault, one arrested

The Delhi Police on Monday denied any racial angle to the beating up of a Nigerian national in south Delhi and said a man has been arrested and four others identified in the case. The accused have been booked for attempted culpable homicide.

"There is no indication of a racial attack. The Nigerian Embassy was informed about the arrest of Nigerian national Ahmed before he was sent in judicial custody by a court here till Tuesday," Deputy Commissioner of Police Ishwar Singh said.

Police identified the arrested person as Krishan Kumar, a landlord who registered a case of attempted theft against Nigerian national Ahmed at his Savitri Nagar residence in Malviya Nagar area.

A manhunt was on to nab four other accused, who assaulted Ahmed, after they were identified in a video clipping shown on television news channels.

Police said the assault occurred on September 24, when Ahmed was allegedly caught on suspicion of attempted theft. Krishan Kumar had filed an FIR against Ahmed that night.

"We have arrested Krishan Kumar for beating up Ahmed. Krishan Kumar is the person at whose residence Ahmed had gone with an intention to commit theft. Efforts are on to arrest others involved in the crime. So far, we have identified four others. They have been booked for attempt to culpable homicide in a fresh FIR," Deputy Commissioner of Police Ishwar Singh said.

"Local police were handed over Ahmed, who resides in Lajpat Nagar, by the residents of south Delhi locality. Ahmed suffered swelling in one hand and a leg apart from other minor bruises," Ishwar Singh said.

"Initially, Ahmed did not cooperate and refused to reveal his identity, but later shared details. Area people said he had attempted a break-in at a house, and jumped off the roof on to a neighbouring house in Savitri Nagar after an alarm," the officer said.

"A wire cutter and a bag with master keys was found on his person. He was given medical aid but he did not inform police during his medical examination that the public had thrashed him or how he got injured," Ishwar Singh added.

"We got to know about the assault after seeing the video clip, in which Ahmed is seen surrounded by many people who beat him with batons while others kicked and slapped him. Eventually, the African, whose feet were tied with a rope to a pillar nearby, started to bleed profusely from the head."

Krishan Kumar had claimed that he saw a man, later identified as Ahmed, trying to unlock a cupboard in his house. He claimed he and his brothers chased him as he tried to escape, but the man slipped from the stairs and injured himself in the head.

Earlier this year, attacks on nationals from several African countries in Delhi and Noida were described by envoys of these nations as "xenophobic and racial".

In two attacks caught on camera in April, four Nigerians were assaulted by a large group of people taking out a candlelight march at Greater Noida to denounce the death of a boy due to suspected drug overdose. A Nigerian student was also beaten inside a mall.

--IANS

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