"No one from the crowd and mall authorities came to our rescue."
Police arrested five men after 300 Indians shockingly stormed through a shopping mall, causing chaos. They attacked African migrants and claimed it as “revenge” for a teenager who died of an overdose.
The shopping mall attack took place on 27th March 2017.
After the attack, Indian police arrested five men on 28th March 2017 and a further four remain wanted. Police describe the Delhi incident as “racially motivated”.
It began in the evening, after a night vigil for Manish Singh, a teenager who died of an overdose. However, the vigil turned violent as some noticed Nigerian locals near a shopping mall.
Many believe African migrants were to blame for the teenager’s death and so caused chaos.
Images appeared on Facebook showing how the mob, comprised of 300 Indians, attacked two Nigerian students. They used chairs and sticks as weapons to attack them.
One of the victims, a 21-year-old, said:
“Before I could run inside to save myself, I was grabbed by the mob chasing us. I was stabbed on my shoulder by a sharp object and beaten for over an hour.”
“No one from the crowd and mall authorities came to our rescue.”
The surprising incident, involving 300 Indians, acts as a controversial reaction to the death of Manish Singh. While he died of an overdose, his family blamed a group of five Nigerian migrants. They claimed that the group had given the teenager a drink containing sedatives.
Police initially arrested the five Nigerians, but later released them with no charges. However, it appears many regard this as the wrong decision.
Senior officer police, Sujata Singh, spoke more on the attack. She said: “Rumours were being spread that Africans are behind the youth’s death and racist comments were made on social media. It looks racially motivated.”
Since the attack, the government have released a statement to reassure African migrants who understandably feel concerned. They said:
“The government is committed to ensuring safety and security of all foreigners in India.
“People from Africa, including students and youth, remain our valued partners.”
Police hope to catch the further four Indians on the run and prevent further attacks from happening.
Loading ...