Delhi: Four Tanzanian women, two Nigerian men rescued from Dwarka after rumours of cannibalism

Six African nationals, including four Tanzanian women and two Nigerian men, were rescued by the Delhi police from Dwarka on Thursday night following rumours that they were cannibals and abducting children. According to the police, while the women were rescued after the police received multiple calls informing them that they had an altercation with the locals, the Nigerian nationals were locked inside a room by the locals after there were rumours about them also being cannibals.

The police said they received five calls at the police control room within in just 41 minutes -- between 6.57 pm to 7.38 – pm on Thursday. They were informing that about the altercation involving the four Tanzanian women in Kakrola area of Dwarka. When police teams reached the area, they found that a crowd had gathered in front of the women's house and there were allegations that they had killed a child and eaten his flesh.

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The police, however, dismissed the reports that claimed the foreign nationals were assaulted by the locals, saying they were baseless.

Subsequently, the police claimed to have received a sixth call was at 7.40 pm by a woman who alleged that her 16-year-old son had been kidnapped by the Nigerian men. Investigations, however, showed that it was a false charge and the caller's phone was also switched off.

The police added that the African nationals were sleeping when some people came and locked their room from outside. One of them does not possess Indian visa, and will be deported, they added.

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The Delhi Police denied the incident being a racist attack. In a statement, the Delhi Police said: "There was no racial attack. We received a call that people were gathering. We reached there, dispersed the crowd and rescued two Tanzanian women. The crowd had gathered following abduction rumours. Later, we received a call of abduction, which turned out to be a hoax. We rescued the (remaining) Nigerian and Tanzanian nationals.

(With agency inputs)