GREATER NOIDA: Seven guards hired by Sharda University from a private agency have been suspended after a video purportedly showed them lifting a student of African origin by the hands and legs and throwing him out of campus.An association of African students told TOI the assaulted student, a Kenyan citizen pursuing BBA at the university, had told them the guards treated him like "a suspect" although he carried his I-card with him every time he left the campus.The seven security personnel who were suspended were marshals Rahul and Prem Raj, and five guards - Jai Hind, Vikas Singh, Om Prakash, Bhola and Chandel. Sharda had hired them from Armour security agency.
A 50-second video shared on a Facebook page titled Africa Sharda on Wednesday purportedly showed the student being shoved and pulled by guards and other security staff of the university as he screamed and tried to resist. Posts accompanying the video accused the varsity management of turning a blind eye to cases of racism on the campus.Registrar Amal Kumar on Thursday described the alleged assault as "an unpleasant incident". "The student was entering the campus with a packet of cigarettes. The guards at gate number 4 stopped him. He lost his cool and things went out of control. The guards tried to hold him and this created the scene," Kumar said.University rules disallow a student from carrying tobacco or narcotic substances inside the campus. Kumar said Sharda University was equally concerned about the welfare of all its students "irrespective of their nationalities". "We have suspended all the security persons involved in this case," he said.
The Association of African Students in India issued a statement on Thursday, demanding strict action against the university management. "We denounce the manhandling of a student by security guards on the campus. We call on the management to take strict action against those involved, and also to create an environment that respects international students," said Samuel T Jack, national president of the association.Zakiyyu Muhammad, secretary-general of the Nigeria Citizen Welfare Association and a senior public prosecutor representing the Nigerian government, said he had spoken to the student after the incident."He denied carrying a cigarette packet to the campus. He said the guards frisked him like a suspect every day despite showing them the I-card. The university should be more careful in recruiting security personnel and staff and be concerned about the way they behave with foreigners. They should avoid hiring people with religious or racial mindsets," said a student pursuing PhD in law at the university.
