Punjab Govt announces monetary assistance, envoy speaks to MEA

In Delhi, Ambassador of Burundi Rubuka Aloys met a senior External Affairs Ministry official seeking legal help in the case of 23-year-old Yannick Nihangaza, who was severely beaten up three months ago in Jalandhar and is lying in coma in a hospital at Patiala.

Aloys met Secretary West Sanjay Singh who assured him all possible help by MEA in the case, sources said.

The meeting came after the envoy wrote to MEA seeking legal help for the student's family.

Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal said that the student "will get justice at all cost...Whosoever is behind the crime will be dealt with sternly", a day after Nestor Ntibateganya, father of the youth, claimed that he had not received any response to the two letters he wrote asking the chief minister to intervene in the matter.

"We are prepared to provide all possible help to the student...The government will not hesitate in taking action even if the persons involved in the crime are influential ones," Badal said, adding he did not know about the incident earlier. "But now it is in my knowledge, he will get justice."

The Chief Minister also announced immediate cash assistance of Rs 5 lakh to African national.

The Burundi envoy said that both the governments are concerned over the incident. "He will need the help of Government of India and also of my country too," he said.

Dismissing suggestions that it could be a racial attack, Aloys said there are 60 students from his country studying in Jalandhar and they live in a "good relationship" with Indians.

"It is not a racist attack. It is, in fact, a simple case of criminality, a criminal case, incidents happening everyday in India and elsewhere," the envoy said.

Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal directed Chief Secretary Rakesh Singh to extend all possible medical and financial help to the student. He also directed Police Commissioner Gaurav Yadav to expedite the manhunt for the accused in the case.

Meanwhile, Yadav said that two of the accused were arrested by Jalandhar Police and charge sheet had been filed against them.