‘B’luru landlord made me lick boots’

A student from Arunachal Pradesh has alleged a racial attack by his landlord, who he claimed beat him up and forced him to lick his boots.

Higio Gungtey, a fourth-semester student of Christ University in Bengaluru, said his landlord Hemant Kumar was upset over shortage of water in the house and blamed him for it.

The incident, which took place on March 6, occurred after another tenant complained about the lack of water. Trouble started soon after, Gungtey said, when Kumar allegedly attacked him, threw out his possessions, started kicking him and then forced him to lick his boots.

Kumar, who is out on bail, could not be reached.

Gungtey said he moved out and his friends took him to a hospital. On March 9, he filed a case with the help of a Northeast solidarity group. His parents, who arrived two days later, said Gungtey should also press charges of racial assault.

Higio Yame, Gungtey’s mother, who is a member secretary of the Women’s Commission of Arunachal Pradesh, said they would file an additional FIR if required to force the police to look into the racial angle.

Deputy commissioner of police, Southeast Division, B Boralingaiah, said an additional charge would be added to the FIR. “We will also look into the charge of racial assault,” he said.

Karnataka chief minister K Siddaramaiah on Monday condemned the attack on the student and dubbed it as ‘shocking’.

“Attack on student from Arunachal Pradesh is shocking. Police has taken prompt action and the perpetrator has been arrested,” Siddaramaiah tweeted.

Union minister of state for home Kiren Rijiju on Monday described the attack in Bengaluru as “saddening” and said the ministry is pursuing the matter besides the police investigation.

“When we are talking of safety of Indians abroad such incidents in our country are very saddening,” Rijiju told reporters here.