African woman dragged out of cab, assaulted in Greater Noida

Noida, March 29

A day after four Nigerian students were attacked, an African woman was on Wednesday morning dragged out of a cab and assaulted in Greater Noida, the police said.

According to the police, a woman coming from Delhi after meeting a friend was allegedly attacked near Knowledge Park area around 4.30 am.

The nationality of the woman has not been identified yet.

The police have registered a case and are investigating to identify and nab the woman's attackers.

"The woman did not register a complaint. We are trying to persuade her and get the FIR registered. We are also working on identifying those involved," Abhinandan, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Gautam Budh Nagar, told IANS.

Four Nigerian students were on Monday night attacked by a crowd near Pari Chowk in Greater Noida and two more were beaten up inside a shopping mall.

The attack took place after protests over the death of Manish Khatri, a Class 12 student in Greater Noida's NSG Society.

Khatri on Saturday died of cardiac arrest due to suspected drug overdose. The police said three FIRs were registered.

Five suspects have been arrested and over 1,000 booked, police officer Avinish Dixit told IANS.

According to Dixit, the police had received a complaint from an association of Nigerian residents in Greater Noida.

The two assaulted Nigerians -- Endurance Amarawa, 21, and Precious Amalcima, 24, were taken to a hospital with facial injuries and minor fractures. Doctors have ruled out any danger to their lives.

"We were shopping in Ansal Plaza on Monday evening when suddenly a mob attacked us viciously. We tried to enter a showroom to save ourselves," Precious Amalcima, who is pursuing graduation in political science from Noida International University (NIU), told reporters at the hospital on Tuesday.

Endurance is a first year BA-LLB student at the university.

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Gopal Baglay termed the incident "deplorable".

Baglay said Minister of State for External Affairs M.J. Akbar spoke to Nigeria's Acting High Commissioner and assured him of steps being taken for the safety and security of that country's nationals.

District Magistrate N.P. Singh in Gautam Budh Nagar on Tuesday held a "peace meeting" with some Nigerians, police and civil officials, local resident welfare associations, students and representatives of colleges and universities of the area.

Singh, according to a statement, assured them that the administration was committed to the safety of foreign students and said the incidents had "blemished the image of India where thousands of foreign students come to study".

—IANS