NEW DELHI: In yet another shame for the capital, locals mobbed members of the African community living in a house in Kakrola , near Dwarka in southwest Delhi, on Thursday evening, following rumours that they had “kidnapped and eaten a boy”.Two Tanzanian women and two Nigerian men were hounded, with the mob trying to drag them out of the house before they were rescued by the cops. In their statements, the women, Assifa and Riziki, claimed that a crowd of 200-250 people started slamming their doors around 7.30pm, asking them to release the boy they had “kidnapped”.Police said people had started gathering outside the house around 6.30pm, with rumours going round that the Africans had “eaten” a boy. Around 7.40pm, cops received a call from a woman who claimed that her 16-year-old son had been “kidnapped by a Nigerian”. Later investigations showed no one from the family had been abducted. Cops are now verifying the documents of those rescued to see if they have valid papers to stay in the country.Locals said the drama started when three men, who claimed to be from a village in Haryana chased an African-origin man who was sitting in a park at RZ-block near Old Palam Road. The man ran inside the house and shut the gate. A crowd then started gathering outside the house after the pursuers claimed that a child was murdered and “eaten by the Africans”.While the man managed to sneak out through another door and escape, the mob soon turned violent. They tried to drag out the other Tanzanians and Nigerians living in the house. Cops responded to the situation and managed to disperse the crowd. The two women were rescued and taken to the police station to have their statement recorded.Rumours, distrust behind spate of troubleThe incident has led to panic among the African community in the locality. Vincent, who lives in Hari Vihar, said he has locked himself up in his room since the attack. His landlord, Parveen Kumar, said that he was too scared and only ventured out of the house for urgent work.In the lower middle class locality of Kakrola, where most houses have been rented out to businesses and foreign nationals, rumours about “man-eating” Africans is still alive and locals are on edge. Chandrakala, 50, a Kakrola resident, said that she was worried for her four grandchildren.“They use sweets and toffies to lure our kids. I have even caught one once trying to walk away with my four-year-old grandchild,” she alleges. Another resident, Hira Lal, 56, claimed that the Africans were creating nuisance in the neighbourhood.“With every African tenant that goes away from this house, our hope of living in peace rises. But the landlord again brings some African or the other at a high rent. This house was originally rented out to a couple, but more than 30-40 people stay cramped inside this two-storeyed structure, paying very high rents.”Lal’s three daughters alleged that African men had twice entered their house drunk and had to be forced away with a broomstick. Repeated incidents of violence against the African community in Khirki, Noida, Greater Noida and now Dwarka, have a similar theme — stereotyping and animosity fuelled by rumours.Adjectives such as “drug-peddlers”, “dog-eaters”, “prostitutes”, “kidnappers” and even “cannibals” are used by local residents to describe the community that has been living in the city for a long time now.“There is almost no interaction between Africans and other residents. There are people from Nepal, Bengal, Haryana and other states living here and we all live like padosis (neighbours). They, on the other hand, never speak to anyone and mostly come out at night,” said Neetu, another resident. Kids see things a little differently. Pankaj Singh, a 9th standard student said he is friends with a toddler named Kaka, a child of a Nigerian national.“Kaka is fine. He plays with us and has never engaged in mischief,” said Pankaj. But he also had unflattering things to say about older Africans who “sell drugs in area”.Vinita, 48, said the Africans play blaring music and don’t let other people sleep. “I am very happy about whatever happened on Thursday evening as I now hope no Africans would come to live here. All the complaints that we made fell on deaf ears and the cops did nothing to help us as this house belongs to a cop,” she said.In the midst of these racist tinderboxes across the city, the African community feels that lack of education and xenophobia fuels such rumour mongering. A short distance away from Kakrola, Rama Park near Dwarka mor is another hub where members of the African community live.African eating joints and salons offering distinctly Afro styles aren’t uncommon. Said Emmanuel Enuka, a Rama Park resident and Noida International University student, “It is extreme xenophobia and lack of understanding about other communities.Even small kids throw stones at us and call us names like Kalu and Habshi. I don’t even know what that means. How can people spread rumours about us eating humans? We also have kids, families. We are normal people.” Many African community members TOI spoke to said they have to put up with name-calling, problems in finding houses, fights and even physical assaults.“People from Africa live in clusters in some places because it is impossible to get houses everywhere. There have been instances when we have booked homes and paid rents but when I was moving in, the neighbours would gather and not let us live there,” said Monday Duruo Innocent, vice-president, African Society.Collins Kitchenz, a community organiser and caterer serving African cuisine, said there was also reluctance on part of Africans to approach the police. “When we call for help, police first ask for our passport. People are reluctant to approach them. There are people who have overstayed but there are so many Indians who have overstayed in our countries too. Why shouldn’t we get help?” he said.