Indians seek help from MEA after ‘race attack’ in US leaves two injured

A group of Indians living in a Silicon Valley neighbourhood have sought the help of the Indian consulate after an alleged racial attack left two of them injured.

Aniruddha Mondal and Monima Nandi were injured after they came to the help of Sharda KS during an argument last Sunday with a group of white men in front of their house at Dixon Landing Road in Milpitas, California, according to Mondal.

“We heard Sharda shouting for help as a group of white people (two men and a woman) were hurling abuses at her. When we tried to intervene, a white person hit me. After a few minutes, Monima was physically assaulted,” said Mondal, who got American citizenship in 2016 has a PIO card.

Statements by the attackers indicated the incident was racially motivated, according to Samrat Nandi, Monima’s husband. Nandi, who works for a software firm, said he called the police, but by the time they came, the attackers had fled.

All the Indians live in the same neighbourhood, except Mondal, who was visiting Nandi. Sharda and her husband Prithwi Patil, who was also involved in the altercation, came to the US six months ago. Later, a complaint was filed with the police, but Nandi alleged they are yet to take action.

On behalf of the group, Nandi contacted the Indian consulate in San Francisco next day. Deputy consul general Rohit Rathish gave an assurance that the matter was being taken forward, Nandi said.

An email by Rathish to Nandi, seen by Hindustan Times, said that the consulate had “written to the mayor of Milpitas, the police department as well as Council members informing them about the incident and requesting their attention to the matter”.

Hindustan Times called the Milpitas Police, but was informed that only the watch commander could comment on the incident. HT was unable to reach the watch commander. An email to Milpitas Police went unanswered.

Nandi also tweeted to external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj seeking help.