Two Nigerian students who were brutally thrashed at a Greater Noida mall on Monday, alleged that no ‘Indian’ had come forward to their rescue. Speaking to news agency ANI, one of the victims said that he had approached several people as a mob equipped with canes and metal objects unleashed a deadly attack on the two inside Greater Noida’s Ansal Plaza.
The attack was led by a mob who suspected that Manish Khari, a student of class XII had died after being drugged by certain African nationals. A video posted by the Association of African Students in India on Facebook shows hordes of locals repeatedly slamming metal dustbins as well as wooden chairs on a Nigerian student.
Holding a candle-light protest in Noida’s Pari Chowk, family members of Manish allege that he was forced into a car by Nigerians residing in NSG colony and was driven away on Friday evening.
The teenager was later found in a haze near the society’s entrance the next morning and was rushed to a hospital. He later died of cardiac arrest. Following a complaint, five Nigerian nations were picked up by police but were later released due to lack of evidence.
Meanwhile, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj tweeted that she had spoken to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who assured her of an ‘Impartial’ probe into the matter.
Swaraj tweeted after a Nigerian student reached out to her on the micro-blogging website.
Reacting to the incident, Uttar Pradesh Health Minister Sidharth Nath Singh said that the “Attack on Nigerian students a serious issue. Proper probe will be done. Report will be provided to the Centre at the earliest.”
Video Editor: Mohd Irshad Alam
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