Kenyan woman fought with friends, wasn't attacked by locals: Greater Noida Police

The Kenyan student, who was thrashed, at a hospital in Greater Noida on Wednesday. Picture by Prem Singh

New Delhi: In a fresh twist to the alleged attack against a Kenyan woman, Greater Noida police on Thursday clarified that there were no locals involved in the assault. Quoting a Whatsapp message of Charles Kennedy, a member of the African Association in the city, SSP Dharmendra Singh said the 25-year-old woman actually had a fight with her friends but diverted the case to portray as if it was a hate crime against her. The Kenyan woman had alleged she was pulled out of her cab at dawn on Wednesday and was beaten up by four assailants in Greater Noida. Police had registered an FIR under sections of rioting with deadly weapons, voluntarily causing hurt, criminal intimidation and insult to provoke breach of peace. The woman, who studies in Delhi, told the police that she was returning home to the Alstonia Society in an app cab from a friend's place when the car was stopped around 4.30am. She was allegedly dragged out and assaulted. Gautam Buddha Nagar Police public relations officer Gajendra Shrotriya said the cab driver Pintu had been found. "When questioned, he denied that any such incident had happened," Shrotriya said. Sanil Kapoor, the medical superintendent of Greater Noida's Kailash Hospital, said: "The girl came to the casualty section around 8.30am and said she had been assaulted. There were no visible marks of injury and the medical investigation showed that her condition was normal. She complained of pain in her abdomen, following which we did an ultrasound. Nothing came up and she was discharged." According to the Association of African Students in India (AASI), at least 10 attacks on Africans have taken place in Greater Noida after residents of an enclave on the Yamuna Expressway barged into a house where five Nigerians live on Friday night and searched the refrigerator, accusing them of cannibalism. The locals had alleged that the Nigerians had eaten a missing 19-year-old boy. Two Nigerians were taken into protective custody by the police and released only on Sunday after the AASI protested. Manish, the missing boy, was found lying in a park on Saturday and he died in a hospital that evening because of "unknown poisoning". On Monday, a protest by locals demanding that Nigerians leave the country turned violent and some Africans passing by were assaulted. Five persons were arrested for the violence and charged with attempt to murder after at least six Africans were hospitalised. The AASI, which had advised all Africans to stay indoors till, has extended the duration till further notice. "We are calling for volunteers to help reach essential groceries to at least 150 to 200 students who haven't left their homes since the weekend. We are waiting for people to respond so we can figure out how much food we can arrange and how we can safely deliver it. African people are terrified of attacks and can't get food, beverages and groceries. We have asked the police to protect us when we start delivering," AASI president Samuel Jack said. The first nine volunteers turned up at Kailash Hospital this evening. "We met three patients and gave them flowers, juice, cakes and get-well-soon cards. It is terrifying to be in their situation with no one to turn to. We wanted them to know that there are also people in Greater Noida who are against this violence," author Sehba Imam, who was part of the group, told this newspaper. The group also had three teachers from Greater Noida's Sharda University, where several Africans study. They are coordinating with students there to arrange food supplies. "The situation is particularly bad for women who have not stepped out. We spoke to African residents on what food packets we can prepare. For the moment, it is just simple bread, butter, jam and milk. We are also talking to more people in the area so we can plan and start reaching out," Imam said. (With additional information from The Telegraph, Calcutta)