It’s not unusual to be targeted with water balloons or colour during Holi even if you’re not part of the revelry. But in the case of a Nigerian man, objecting to a boy throwing a balloon and admonishing him for it resulted in a group of men attacking him in his Delhi residence with bats.
Isaac Evwrirhe has been living in India for eight years and while living in the Dwarka Mor area of Delhi says he had become used to racist remarks. He used to play football with various clubs and is now a coach.
However, on March 20 when he was walking to the market, a boy threw a water balloon at him and angered by it, Evwrirhe confronted the boy, scolded him and left him with a shopkeeper. Some time later the boy’s brother arrived at the spot and learnt about what had happened.
Describing what happened next, Evwrirhe told the Indian Express:
“Within minutes, some people knocked on my door and began shouting. They then barged inside, ransacked my home and assaulted me and my roommate Aliyu Abdul.”
The group assaulted the duo with cricket and baseball bats and even pushed Evwrirhe off the balcony of his house on the second floor. His roommate was also assaulted despite pleading with the group that he hadn’t even been involved in the incident.
The duo went to the police who refused to register a case initially and only when senior officials intervened was a FIR finally registered. But there are no arrests made yet.
In the FIR, the men also said that the group that assaulted them demanded money to stop assaulting them:
The two men are still to return to their residence after the incident and say they have been getting threatening calls ever since the incident. However, they say they are determined to get justice.
Featured image source: @IndianExpress