New Delhi: Four persons were arrested and as many detained on Sunday by Delhi Police in connection with alleged assault on African nationals in South Delhi's Mehrauli area in which six of them were injured.
Besides these eight persons, a juvenile has also been detained as investigators stepped up probe into three separate incidents of assault on African Nationals after External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj took up the issue with Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung.
"Four accused identified as Babu, Om Prakash, Ajay and Rahul have been arrested and the fifth accused, who turned out to be a minor, has been apprehended on charges of causing hurt and wrongful confinement," DCP (South) Ishwar Singh said.
Investigators said that four more persons have been detained and there were being interrogated. At least six African nationals had sustained injuries in the incidents. Police attributed two of the incidents to a dispute over African nationals playing loud music and other to a scuffle over public drinking.
The incidents came amid outrage over killing of 23-year-old Congolese national M K Oliver in South Delhi's Vasant Kunj area last week with envoys of African nations openly voicing their unhappiness. India had assured the African envoys of safety and security of all African nationals.
Three separate cases have already been registered by police in connection with the incident which took place at Mehrauli area on Thursday night.
Meanwhile, since Saturday police has held several meetings with various resident associations in the area.
Addressing one such gathering, DCP Ishwar said, "they have come to our country, they are our guests and friends. They have come here just because they trust us.
"The way you behave with them will have repercussions on our brothers living outside. An example is the way Indians were attacked after the murder of a Congolese youth," he said.
The victims in Thursday's cases include two women -- one from Uganda and the other from South Africa -- and at least two Nigerian men who alleged they were abused on racial lines.
While two of the cases have been registered under the charge of criminal intimidation, the third has been for alleged offences of causing hurt and wrongful confinement, police had said.
The police officials had also claimed no African National was seriously injured and police had registered cases taking suo motu cognisance.
"No African National was seriously injured. A Nigerian national, identified as Leuchy, sustained minor injuries on his nose and he was taken to AIIMS Trauma Centre," police said.
"None of the African Nationals agreed to give a complaint. However, the local police acting on their own have registered criminal cases. The accused persons involved in the incidents have been identified and efforts are on to arrest them," it added.
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