A day after the murder of 23-year-old Congolese national MK Olivier in the national capital, a 23-year-old Nigerian student has now been hit by an iron rod in Hyderabad.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has sought a report from the Hyderabad government. Over a scuffle that broke out between a Nigerian national and a local resident, in which the former was injured.
According to the police, on Wednesday night, argument broke out between a Nigerian national Ghazeem, a third-year degree student in a city college and a resident of Singadabasti locality in Banjara Hills, Mohd Gafoor, after the former parked his car in front of Gafoor’s building, despite being told to park in his own apartment complex.
However, Ghazeem allegedly refused to remove his car after which a scuffle broke out. Gafoor hit him on his head with a rod, resulting in injuries, a senior police officer said.
“The incident occurred on Wednesday night after a dispute over car-parking. Following a complaint by the Nigerian student, a case was registered against Gafoor and he has been taken into custody. We have started investigations into the matter,” Assistant Commissioner of Police (Banjara Hills Division) Uday Kumar Reddy said.
A counter-complaint was lodged by Gafoor, however no case has been registered, the ACP added.
Minister for external affairs Sushma Swaraj has sought a report after the incident.
“On reports of a Nigerian student injured in Hyderabad: EAM @SushmaSwaraj has urgently sought report from State Govt, is monitoring the case”, ministry spokesperson Vikas Swaroop tweeted in the morning.
The incident comes days after Masonda Ketada Oliver, a 29-year-old Congolese national, was beaten to death in south Delhi’s Vasant Kunj area. He was murdered by three men in an altercation over hiring an autorickshaw.
Union Minister VK Singh sought to cool down the tempers and said that the Centre is firmly committed that such incidents “cannot be forgotten”. “The government of India condemns a heinous crime like this. It was a crime, it is not premeditated, not racial,” he said.
The issue gains significance as The African Group of Heads of Mission declared that it would not join Africa Day celebrations, in solidarity with Masunda Kitada Oliver, a Congolese student who was killed last week in Delhi. However, later they agreed to participate in the event, which was organised by Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), in the national capital. “The situation in India is no longer safe for us. Even the police are not willing to help us when we approach them,” said Emmanuel Omurunga, chairman of the African Students Association, Telangana.
