Gr Noida: 4 booked as Zimbabwean couple assaulted over accident

Michael and Amma were going in their car when he accidentally hit a motorcycle of a deliveryman, coming from the opposite side and a heated argument broke out

Police have registered a case of assault and damaging property against four people after a Zimbabwean couple was allegedly assaulted and their car vandalised by a mob following an accident on Sunday evening in Beta 2 of Greater Noida, officers said on Monday.

Michael and his wife Amma, who reside in a rented accommodation in Greater Noida, filed a complaint at Beta-2 police station on Sunday, following which an FIR was registered. (HT Photo (video grab))

Michael and his wife Amma, who go by single names, work at a private company and reside in a rented accommodation in Sector Xu in Greater Noida. After the incident, they filed a complaint at Beta-2 police station on Sunday, following which an FIR was registered.

“On Sunday evening, when Michael and Amma were going in their car to run some errands, he accidentally hit the motorcycle of a deliveryman, identified as Aryan, 25, who was coming from the opposite side,” said Viddhyut Goyal, station house officer (SHO), Beta-2 police station, adding that Michael was driving in the wrong lane.

Soon, a heated argument broke out between Michael and Aryan, a resident of Beta 2, and later other deliverymen joined him. “A mob, including the deliverymen, allegedly assaulted Michael and broke the windshield and window glasses of his car,” the SHO added.

As the dispute kept escalating, someone from the crowd alerted police on emergency helpline number 112.

A force from a nearby police station was rushed to de-escalate the tension, said an officer, adding that Michael and his wife were rescued safely.

The couple did not suffer any injury in the assault, said an officer, asking not to be named.

Meanwhile, multiple videos of the incident were widely shared on social media platforms, and they purportedly showed the vandalised car of the Zimbabwean and crowd gathered around it on a busy stretch near ithums Galleria Mall in Alpha 2 in Greater Noida.

HT could not independently authenticate the veracity of the videos.

A case under sections 115 (voluntarily causing hurt), 351 (criminal intimidation), 324 (causes the destruction of any property), and 281 (rash driving or riding on a public way) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita was registered against the delivery boy and three unidentified people at Beta 2 police station.

“The deliveryman was detained and detailed statements of the Zimbabwean couple are yet to be recorded,” said an official, adding that further investigation is underway.

There was no immediate reaction from the Zimbabwean embassy over the incident.