BENGALURU: A 21-year-old Tanzanian woman passing by the scene of a road accident was stripped and paraded naked by a mob incensed by the death of a woman under the wheels of a car.
The local people were angry that the car was driven by some African students in an inebriated condition. But the Tanzanian woman herself had nothing to do with the accident.
The incident happened on Sunday but came to light only on Wednesday. The Tanzanian woman had sought to file a case with the police but was turned away. She had to seek the help of higher authorities to get her complaint registered.
According to the police, the Tanzanian student, a second-year BBA student of Acharya College, was passing by the scene of the accident 30 minutes after it happened. An irate mob had gathered and were setting fire to the car because they believed it was driven by drunken African youth.
The mob turned its ire on the student. Her clothes were stripped off and she was paraded naked. Three of her friends were also assaulted but they managed to escape.”
A friend of the woman, Bosco Owais, who is a legal advisor to the All-Indian International Students Association, said, “My friend approached the Peenya police after the attack but they refused to register a case. Later, we had to go to the top brass to have the case registered. I understand that those people were angry, but how can they beat up an innocent woman?"
African students in Bengaluru said they have been cowering in their flats ever since the incident. Speaking to Express, Sougour Hassan Ahmat, president of the Federation of International Students' Associations (Bengaluru chapter), said, “We have been hiding in our houses for the past two days. We are not able to go to college.”
When Express contacted an inspector of the Peenya police, he confirmed that a case was registered on Wednesday in connection with the assault.