Response to accident, NOT racist attack, says K'taka HM
February 04, 2016  12:56
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Karnataka Home Minister DG Parmeshwara's statement on the assault on the Tanzanian woman in Bengaluru on January 31. The Tanzanian woman 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 prompting the authorities of the East African country to raise the matter with the Indian government.

The Tanzanian student was beaten and then stripped by a group of locals in Bengaluru after they assumed she was part of an incident in which a Sudanese man had run over a local woman.

The incident took place on Hesaraghatta Road in Bengaluru on Saturday night after a Sudanese national ran his car over a 35-year-old woman resulting in on the spot death of the woman.

"Sudan's Mohammad Ismail was driving under the influence of alcohol, he hit K Sanaullah and his wife. The woman died on the spot. Sanaullah was injured and taken to hospital, as was Ismail.

"During this time three to four people gathered and set their car on fire. Some students (referring to the Tanzanian woman and her friends) were driving by. Jamaal Ibrahim, the driver, and a Tanzanian student and others were attacked.

"The cops registered the case at that time itself. For two days, the case was registered only about the accident. After two days Leena (the Tanzanian woman) approached the police and filed a complaint.

"Had the Sudanese man not killed someone in the accident may be this incident wouldn't have happened. There are 12,000 foreign students in Bengaluru, their protection is our duty.  These kind of incidents should not happen.

"This is not a racist attack, this is just a response to an accident. Bengaluru doesn't have such kind of attitude," he said.


Following the brutal assault on Tanzanian student in Bengaluru, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi has asked the Karnataka Government to explain the incident and send the report immediately.

Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh on Thursday confirmed the news on his official Twitter account.

"Strongly condemn Incident with the Tanzanian Lady in Bangalore. Police must act strongly against the culprits. Rahul Gandhi has asked the government to explain and send report immediately," Singh said in a series of tweets.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj had on Wednesday condemned the attack on the Tanzanian student, and asked for stringent punishment for the guilty.

"I have asked the Chief Minister (Siddaramaiah) to ensure safety and security of all foreign students and stringent punishment for the guilty," Swaraj said in a tweet.

"I spoke to the Chief Minister Karnataka. He informed me that a criminal case has been registered and four accused have been arrested," she added.

Expressing her grief over the incident, Swaraj said, "We are deeply pained over the shameful incident with a Tanzanian girl in Bengaluru."

Meanwhile, the Bengaluru Police has arrested one more person in the case on Thursday morning after filing an FIR against some unknown persons in connection with the assault on a 21-year-old Tanzanian student.

The Tanzanian student was beaten and then stripped by a group of locals in Bengaluru after they assumed she was part of an incident in which a Sudanese man had run over a local woman.

The incident took place on Hesaraghatta Road in Bengaluru on Saturday night after a Sudanese national ran his car over a 35-year-old woman resulting in on the spot death of the woman.

The Tanzanian student was travelling in another car, a Wagon-R, along with four others. The young woman, who arrived on the spot around 30 minutes later, was dragged out of the car and paraded naked after being stripped by the mob.

The victim told the police in her complaint that when she tried to get on a bus in order to escape the assault, people on the bus pushed her back towards the mob.

Earlier, the local residents set fire to two cars belonging to the African students, who studied in local colleges in Ganapathinagar on Hesaraghatta Road.
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