Women's rights activist and lawyer Abha Singh on Thursday asked Karnataka Home Minister G. Parmeshwara to release the police inquiry over his claim that the brutal attack on a Tanzanian student in Bengaluru was 'not a racial attack' and said that action should be taken against the girl under 211 of the IPC if her allegation is found to be wrong.
"Can Karnataka Home Minister release the police inquiry? Why does he not show the police inquiry which says that the Tanzanian student was not stripped, it was not a racist attack because if he is coming on that then the inquiry should be shown to the public," Singh told ANI here.
"However, going by the Home Minister's statement if it is found that the allegation of the Tanzanian student was wrong that she was not stripped, she was not paraded naked then action needs to be taken against this student under 211 of the IPC which clearly says that if you file a false FIR, false allegation intent to injure the opposition party then it is a non-cognizable bailable offence with an imprisonment up to six months. It is necessary that an action is taken because it is often seen that these laws which are meant to protect women are being misused with great impunity," he added.
Parmeshwara earlier in the day told the media in Bengaluru that the attack on the Tanzanian student was 'not a racial attack' as the city does not have that kind of an attitude.
"It's not a racial attack. It is just a response to the accident. Bengaluru does not have that kind of an attitude," Parmeshwara said.
He also said that this incident would not have taken place had the Sudanese not killed somebody in the accident.
"The five accused are being interrogated by the police officials. We have already informed the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) about it," said Parmeshwara.
"The allegations that their clothes were torn off and they were paraded naked have not been verified as per the investigation so far," he added.
Parmeshwara also said that more arrests would be made when the people in the mob are identified and added that this matter would not be taken casually.
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"There are 12,000 foreign students in Bangalore itself. Their protection and their pursuit of education is our duty, especially the Home Minister. But this kind of incident should not happen," he said.
Parmeshwara further said there are times when foreign students stay even after their passports get expired and, therefore, they are going to pursue such cases.
Giving details about the accident, the Home Minister said that Sudan's Mohd. Ismail was driving the car under the influence of liquor and then he hit K. Sanaullah and his wife.
"The woman died on the spot. Sanaullah was injured and he was taken to the hospital. In the incident, Ismail was also injured. During this time, around three to four people gathered and set the car on fire," he said.
"Near the spot, some students were coming in a car. Jamaal Ibrahim, the driver, and a Tanzanian student and others were then attacked by the mob," he added.
He further said that the DGP and Commissioner went to the spot today and also spoke to the students.
"The case has been transferred to the Central Crime Branch," he said.
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Parmeshwara also asserted that the state government would provide protection to the foreign students, but if they do anything against the law of the land then it's a different issue.
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Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah earlier said that he has spoken to External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and given her a factual report about the incident.
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"I have instructed the DGP to inquire into the matter if there is any delay in registering the complaint or not," Siddaramaiah said.
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"The case is already registered and five accused have been arrested. Yesterday, Sushma Swaraj spoke to me and I have given factual report to her," he added.
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Swaraj had yesterday condemned the attack on the Tanzanian student and asked for stringent punishment for the guilty.
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"I have asked the Chief Minister (Siddaramaiah) to ensure safety and security of all foreign students and stringent punishment for the guilty," Swaraj said in a tweet.
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"I spoke to the Chief Minister Karnataka. He informed me that a criminal case has been registered and four accused have been arrested," she added.
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Expressing her grief over the incident, Swaraj said, "We are deeply pained over the shameful incident with a Tanzanian girl in Bengaluru."
The Bengaluru Police had yesterday filed an FIR against some unknown persons in connection with the assault on a 21-year-old Tanzanian student.
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The Tanzanian student was beaten and then stripped by a group of locals in Bengaluru after they assumed she was part of an incident in which a Sudanese man had run over a local woman.
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The incident took place on Hesaraghatta Road in Bengaluru on Saturday night after a Sudanese national ran his car over a 35-year-old woman resulting in on the spot death of the woman.
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The Tanzanian student was travelling in another car, a Wagon-R, along with four others. The young woman, who arrived on the spot around 30 minutes later, was dragged out of the car and paraded naked after being stripped by the mob.
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The victim told the police in her complaint that when she tried to get on a bus in order to escape the assault, the people on the bus pushed her back towards the mob.
