Africans attacked in Delhi: Sushma asks HM to ensure safety; Police asked to step up patrolling

New Delhi: Taking a stern view of fresh cases of assault on African nationals here, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj today pressed for ensuring their safety as she spoke to Home Minister Rajnath Singh who directed Delhi Police to take strict action against the attackers and step up patrolling in the areas inhabited by the community.

Swaraj said a sensitisation campaign will be carried out in the areas where African nationals reside.

She asked Minister of State for External Affairs Gen (retd) V K Singh and Secretary in MEA Amar Sinha to meet the African students who have announced their programme to hold demonstration at Jantar Mantar on Tuesday.

Police officials, meanwhile, said the persons accused in the Mehrauli attacks have been identified and they are expected to be nabbed very soon.

Two women -- one from Uganda and the other from South Africa -- and two Nigerian men have filed complaints of physical assault and criminal intimidation.

Significantly, the government has decided to transport back home the mortal remains of Congolese national, whose killing here earlier this month had triggered anger among the African countries whose envoys had unitedly threatened to boycott the Africa Day celebrations of the Indian government last week, before they were persuaded against it.

In the wake of fresh cases of assault on Africans, the External Affairs Minister spoke to the Home Minister as well as Delhi Lt Governor Najeeb Jung, who is directly in-charge of Delhi Police and said both assured her that the culprits will be arrested soon.

"I have spoken to Shri Rajnath Singh ji and Lt Governor Delhi reg(arding) attack on African nationals in South Delhi yesterday. They assured me that the culprits will be arrested soon and sensitisation campaign will be launched in areas where African nationals reside," Swaraj said in tweets.

"I have asked Gen V K Singh, MoS and Secretary Amar Sinha to meet# African students who have announce(d) demonstration at Jantar Mantar," she added in another tweet.

Sinha, Secretary (Economic Relations) in the MEA has been in touch with African community following the attacks.

The Home Minister called Delhi Police chief Alok Kumar Verma to his residence and expressed concern over the attacks.

"Spoke to Commissioner of Police, Delhi regarding the incidents of physical assault against certain African nationals. Such incidents are condemnable," Rajnath Singh tweeted later.

"Instructed CP Delhi to take strict action against the attackers and increase patrolling in these areas to ensure security of everyone," he said in another tweet.

Separately, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup said government will assist the family of the Congolese youth Masunda Kitanda Oliver to come to India and to take his mortal remains.

"In the unfortunate death of Mr.Masunda Oliver, the Government will assist his family to travel to India to receive his mortal remains. We will also arrange for his mortal remains to be transported to DR Congo at our expense," he said.

Envoys of African countries on Thursday had expressed shock over killing of Oliver here last week following which India assured them of safety of African nationals.

Regarding the latest incidents, police said these were isolated incidents and nothing like "organised attacks".

A police official denied that rods or bats were used in the assaults, saying the nature of injuries would have been different then. He said one woman had sustained an injury on her nose.

Police attributed two of the incidents to locals raising objection to the African nationals' playing loud music during late night, and the other to objection raised against a group of Africans consuming alcohol in public.

All three incidents had taken place on Thursday in areas under the jurisdiction of Mehrauli Police Station.

(PTI inputs)

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