Five people have been arrested since Monday, after a video of a mob beating a Nigerian man tied to a pole in South Delhi went viral, the Hindustan Times reported.
In the video, the Nigerian man identified as Ahmed is beaten with sticks while he begs and screams. The incident, which is believed to have taken place on September 24, came to light on Monday after the clip went viral. The mob beat Ahmed after he was accused of theft. One man is seen holding Ahmed’s feet up while another beats him with a stick. He is heard pleading for forgiveness in the clip. Ahmed was later handed over to the police.
Krishan Kumar, who had caught Ahmed allegedly trying to steal from his house, was the first to be arrested late on Monday, hours after the video went viral. Four more men – Sanjay, Kamal Kant, Mahavir and Mukesh – were arrested on Tuesday, NDTV quoted Deputy Commissioner of Police (south) Ishwar Singh as saying. A city court sent all five men to Tihar Jail for 14 days.
The court also extended Ahmed’s judicial custody. “We produced him before the court and asked for permission to record his statement and question him about his passport and visa documents,” Ishwar Singh said. “We wanted to know more about the September 24 incident, but he did not cooperate.” The police said neither Ahmed, Kumar nor the local residents are sharing information about the mob assault.
The police refuted queries about the incident being a racial attack.
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