Nigerian national accused of theft brutally beaten up by locals in Delhi's Malviya Nagar

Disturbing visuals of an African national being beaten up in New Delhi’s Malviya Nagar area surfaced on Monday, raising concern over racism-related attacks on Africans in the country and their safety.

The Nigerian man was accused of theft by locals in the area who sought to thrashing him before the police reached the spot, according to CNN-News18 news channel. A lot of African nationals live in Malviya Nagar.

Shocking racism in Delhi: African national thrashed in Malviya Nagar, was accused of theft pic.twitter.com/EBjDoojlbe

— News18 (@CNNnews18) October 9, 2017

A stain of blood was seen on the wall where the incident occurred. Police said they were investigating the brutal assault.

The video shows the African man tied up with rope and beaten up with sticks mercilessly even while he says “Please forgive me”. The attackers can be heard swearing while they tied his foot to the pole and continued thrashing him despite repeated cries for mercy.

A police officer said the incident may be related to a September 24 attempted robbery in which some people in Malviya Nagar registered an FIR against an apparent African, identified as Ahmed, son of Aliyo.

Police said Krishan Kumar, a resident of Savitri Nagar in Malviya Nagar, filed the FIR against Ahmed on the night of 24-25 September.

Kumar claimed he saw the African man trying to unlock the door of his cupboard. He added that he and his brothers chased him as he tried to escape but the man slipped from the stairs, injuring himself in the head.

Kumar reportedly informed the police after which Ahmed was taken to a hospital.

A black colour bag having two keys, a plier and two mobile phones were recovered from Ahmed, according to the FIR. A case of theft was registered against Ahmed.

As the locals had already registered a complaint of the theft charges, the police arrested the Nigerian man and took him into custody.

This is not the first instance of racially-motivated attacks against African nationals in the National Capital Region.

In March this year, a Nigerian student was attacked in Greater Noida, some 40 kilometres from Delhi, following protests over the death of a Class 12 student of a residential colony there due to drug overdose. Some people who were holding a candle-light vigil for the student attacked the Nigerians suspecting them of having drugged the student.

Following this, Nigeria summoned the Indian envoy in Abuja to express displeasure over the attacks on Nigerian students in India and voiced concern that the incident was not the first of its kind.