Congo Embassy officials arrive in Bengaluru after Congolese man dies in custody

Mangalore Today News Network

Bengaluru, Aug 04, 2021: Officials from the embassy of the Democratic Republic of Congo in Delhi arrived in Bengaluru on August 3 and spoke to the city police regarding the alleged custodial death of Congolese citizen Joel Shindani Malu aka Joan. Speaking to TNM, the JC Nagar police station inspector said two persons from the embassy arrived in the city, they spoke to the police personnel about the death and the protest that ensued. “On August 3, two embassy officials arrived in the city; Joan’s body was sent for post-mortem after the embassy officials took a look at the body. The post-mortem is still being carried out,” said the inspector. According to a report in the Times of India, Joan’s body was shifted to the state-run Bowring Hospital.

 

Joan who was arrested in the wee hours of August 1, had later complained of chest pain and died in a private hospital where he was taken for treatment. He was arrested by the police for drug possession. However, this had sparked protests outside the JC Nagar police station which took a violent turn. The police lathicharged on the African nationals who were protesting outside the station after they reportedly tried snatching the police’s lathis and hurled abuses at them. Visuals showed police beating up protestors who were unarmed.

The inspector said that five protestors have been booked so far for allegedly creating ruckus and that they have been remanded to judicial custody after being produced in front of the magistrate on August 3. The police have so far booked five persons— Araamann Ngoy, Clement Bakemda, Yousif Maketa, Juvanc Makungu and Guelorg aka Kulaba—under Section 353 (Assault or criminal force to stop the public servant from discharging their duties) of the Indian Penal Code and other relevant sections.

“The protestors had turned violent, they attacked the police personnel present, they also hurled abuses and that’s why FIRs were lodged. We have arrested five people as of now, investigations are underway. We are examining their visa details to ascertain if any of them were overstaying,” the inspector said.

 

A report in The New Indian Express quoted a senior official saying two other cases have been taken up by the JC Nagar Police which included attacks on two sub-inspectors and a minor boy who was injured when the protestors pushed him while escaping. The TOI report also mentioned that three special teams have been formed to trace and detain the suspects.

Subsequently, the CID has already begun investigating the death of Joan and have collected all the documents pertaining to the death case, stated reports.

Courtesy:The News Minute