NEW DELHI -- Four days after a Tanzanian woman was attacked on a street in Bengaluru, the government of Karnataka has refuted reports that she was stripped and paraded naked, characterizing the incident as a mob reaction to an accident instead of a racist attack.
"There was no stripping and parading naked," K. J. George, Karnataka's Home Minister, told reporters on Thursday. "This is definitely not a racial attack. It was just a response to the accident by the Sudanese student. I don't think Bangalorians have that kind of a mindset."
On Jan 31, a car driven by Sudanese student Mohammed Ismail hit two local residents, K Sanaullah and his wife, triggering the incident which has sparked outrage across the country. While K Sanaullah was injured, his wife died on the spot.
Ismail was also injured and his car was set on fire by three or four people.
The Tanzanian woman, who was traveling with other companions, was pulled out of their car by the angry mob, when they drove by 30 minutes after the accident. Her companions were also assaulted and their vehicle was torched.
When the student tried to board a bus to escape, she was reportedly pushed out by other passengers.
Five persons have been arrested in connection with the horrific incident which played out on the night of Jan. 31.
In a police complaint filed on Sunday, the Tanzanian woman did not mention that she was stripped, The Indian Express reported, but she said that “her top was removed” in a subsequent complaint filed on Wednesday following media reports.
“We were shocked by media reports on Wednesday and we summoned the woman to know what exactly happened. She appeared before the Soladevanahalli police and gave a new statement, saying she was stripped by a mob. We have added suitable sections of the IPC to the FIR that was registered earlier based on the complaint that her car was set on fire. We need to investigate further," T.R. Suresh, a senior police official, told IE.
But George today said that the Tanzanian woman made no mention of being stripped naked in her complaint.
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"There was no stripping and parading naked," K. J. George, Karnataka's Home Minister, told reporters on Thursday. "This is definitely not a racial attack. It was just a response to the accident by the Sudanese student. I don't think Bangalorians have that kind of a mindset."
On Jan 31, a car driven by Sudanese student Mohammed Ismail hit two local residents, K Sanaullah and his wife, triggering the incident which has sparked outrage across the country. While K Sanaullah was injured, his wife died on the spot.
Ismail was also injured and his car was set on fire by three or four people.
The Tanzanian woman, who was traveling with other companions, was pulled out of their car by the angry mob, when they drove by 30 minutes after the accident. Her companions were also assaulted and their vehicle was torched.
When the student tried to board a bus to escape, she was reportedly pushed out by other passengers.
Five persons have been arrested in connection with the horrific incident which played out on the night of Jan. 31.
In a police complaint filed on Sunday, the Tanzanian woman did not mention that she was stripped, The Indian Express reported, but she said that “her top was removed” in a subsequent complaint filed on Wednesday following media reports.
“We were shocked by media reports on Wednesday and we summoned the woman to know what exactly happened. She appeared before the Soladevanahalli police and gave a new statement, saying she was stripped by a mob. We have added suitable sections of the IPC to the FIR that was registered earlier based on the complaint that her car was set on fire. We need to investigate further," T.R. Suresh, a senior police official, told IE.
But George today said that the Tanzanian woman made no mention of being stripped naked in her complaint.
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