Many African students studying in the Noida International University (NIU) have stopped attending classes at the institution after four of them were assaulted in a racist attack on Monday.
Reports state that the five Nigerian students, who were booked for allegedly abducting and murdering fellow student Manish Khari, have also not been spotted on the campus ever since the incident. Manish, 16, died of alleged drug overdose on Saturday evening and was reportedly found in an intoxicated condition near his house, according to the residents.
Five Nigerians were subsequently booked after a complaint was lodged against them by Manish's family, who alleged that they drugged the boy after abducting him. The five suspects, Usman, Amir, Kabir, Abdul, and Sayeed, were later released because of lack of evidence.
The students who were arrested claimed that the angry locals barged into their homes on March 24 and they were later arrested without any evidence.
A civil engineering student of NIU said that there were around 1,000 African students on campus, however, most of them were not coming to the university since the incident, according to the Times of India. There has been a recent rise in reports of crime against people of African descent.
"Some are our friends. We exchange notes whenever we meet, they invite us home. As far as we are concerned, they have been good to us," the student told TOI.
Reports state that after some of the African students on campus were thrashed, some of the students from Africa are too scared to come out of their homes. Students on campus said that they were helping the Africans by getting them food and other essential items.
Some students also stereotyped the Nigerians on campus, stating their links to drugs which may have led to Manish's death.
