After news reports about attack on Tanzanian girl in Bengaluru emerged, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj reacted saying she was “deeply pained over the shameful incident.”
In a series of tweets, condemning the incident, Sushma said that she has also asked the Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to ensure the safety and security of foreign students in Bengaluru.
“We are deeply pained over the shameful incident with a Tanzanian girl in Bengaluru,” she tweeted.
“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.
“I have asked the Chief Minister to ensure safety and security of all foreign students and stringent punishment for the guilty.”
The High Commission of Tanzania, meanwhile, has dashed off a Note Verbale to the External Affairs Ministry about the reported attack, requesting it to take necessary legal action against the guilty.
The sources said the Joint Secretary in MEA's East and Southern Africa Division has spoken to the High Commissioner of Tanzania and expressed regret over the the unfortunate incident.
The Joint Secretary told the Tanzanian High Commissioner that the Ministry is in regular touch with the authorities in Bangalore and that the state authorities have said they are seized of the matter and have taken action to prevent recurrence of such incidents.
The Tanzanian victim was summoned to police station to record statement following the news reports of the attack. While recording her statement she also alleged that the mob stripped off her top and forced to walk the streets half-naked.
The victim, a 21-year-old business management student of Acharya College, has also alleged that the by-standers who tried to help her were also beaten up by the mob.
The victim has further stated that she boarded a bus to escape her attackers. However, passengers in the bus pushed her out and into the mob.
The incident is said to be the “mistaken case of identity.” A few hours before the Tanzanian student was attacked, a woman, Sabeen Taj, was run over by a car driven by Sudanese student in Hessarghatta, Bengaluru north.
A group of Tanzanian students, who arrived at the accident spot in a different car, in which the victim was also travelling, later in the day were targeted by a angry mob.
The victim has alleged that she was assaulted, stripped and paraded by a mob on night of January 31.
The car in which the students were travelling was also set alight by the mob.
The legal adviser for the All African Students Union in Bengaluru, Bosco Kaweesi said “police were of no help” when they were approached with the complaint. He also alleged that initially police refused to take the complaint from the victim.
The woman's statement had been recorded by the Deputy Commissioner of Police and a case of assault on the woman has been filed. The police are trying to identify the people involved in the attack and arrest them.
