Video shows African national thrashed by mob in south Delhi, police launch probe
Delhi Police said that there had been a complaint about an attempted theft in Malviya Nagar on September 24 for which an African national had been arrested. They, however, could not confirm if the accused was also assaulted by locals before arrest.
delhi Updated: Oct 09, 2017 16:33 IST
Hindustan Times
In a video that surfaced on Monday, an African national is seen tied to a pole and thrashed by a mob allegedly in south Delhi’s Malviya Nagar. The man, whose face is covered in blood, is seen begging people to let him go even as they land blows and punches on him.
The video shows one of the attackers catching the man’s legs and another hitting him with a stick. The man is heard saying ‘forgive me’ while those in the mob instigate each other to tie him up and thrash him. A woman in the mob is also seen hitting the man with her slipper. Another is seen shouting that he had found Rs 6,000 in the man’s pocket.
When contacted, the police said they were trying to verify reports that the man was caught by Malviya Nagar residents while attempting a theft in the area. The video was reportedly shot on September 24.
Heartless Delhi. Disturbing video of an African national being beaten by a mob in the capital.Police launch probe to identify mob @htTweets pic.twitter.com/foQerRroC6
— prawesh lama (@LamaPrawesh) October 9, 2017
Police confirmed that a complaint of attempted theft and trespassing had been filed by a resident of Malviya Nagar. The complainant has said around 4am on September 24, he woke up to the sound of someone unlocking an almirah in his house. In the FIR, the complainant said when “he opened his eyes, the man panicked and fell down on the stairs. He was later caught by locals and handed to police”.
The FIR, however, does not mention anything about a mob gathering at the spot and beating up the accused. HT called the complainant’s phone number mentioned in the FIR. A woman who identified herself as the complainant’s daughter confirmed that the man seen in the video on TV news channels was the one who had trespassed into their house on September 24.
DCP south Ishwar Singh said, “There was a theft attempt case registered at Malviya Nagar police station in which an African national was arrested. Now that videos regarding assault on an African national have surfaced, we are finding out if the same foreigner who was arrested for theft attempt is seen in the assault video.”
(Story to be updated)
