Hunt for suspects who assaulted Tanzanian woman in Bengaluru

Bengaluru: Police have launched a manhunt for suspects who allegedly attacked and molested a Tanzanian woman in Bengaluru following a road accident, a top police official said.

"We have registered a case of riot and arson against the accused on victim`s statement in which she reported of being assaulted in a mistaken identity by a mob on the outskirts of the city," city police commissioner N.S. Megharik told reporters here on Wednesday.

Denying reports in a section of media that the victim was also molested, Megharik said the African woman had admitted being only assaulted by a frenzied mob after her three male friends deserted her at Soladevanahalli where the car in which they were travelling was burnt.

"The incident occurred because the mob mistook the victim`s car being involved in a road mishap on same night (January 31) when a 20-year-old drunken Sudanese national (Mohammed Ahad Ismai) ran over a woman fatally. We arrested him after he was rescued from a raging mob," Megharik said.

Police did not register a case soon after the road mishap and the mob attack, as the victim was not in the city for two days since Sunday.

"We have formed special teams to trap the culprits and render justice to the victim who declined to file complaint against the accused fearing attack again.

The victim`s friends told police that on Sunday the furious mob had pulled them out of their car, assaulted them and molested her in which her clothes were torn.

Meanwhile, the city-based Tanzanian youth association decided to seek its embassy`s help in registering an assault case and booking the culprits.

Earlier in the day, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj described the attack as "shameful" and expressed deep pain over the Sunday incident on microblogging site Twitter.

"We are deeply pained over the shameful incident with a Tanzanian girl in Bengaluru. I spoke to the chief minister Karnataka. He informed me that a criminal case has been registered and four accused have been arrested," Sushma Swaraj tweeted.

The minister sought a report from the Karnataka government and asked Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to ensure safety of foreign students.