TIMES VIEW

MUMBAI: At least 25 Nigerian students of several city colleges staying at an Aarey Colony complex got notices on Monday asking them to vacate their flats within 15 days. Realty agents said local police, in a meeting, asked them not to entertain Nigerians as “many are involved in online crimes or drug-peddling”.The students, all residents of Royal Palms, claimed it was racial profiling and discrimination and met the police to appeal against the order. “It was a general instruction to the agents after we received complaints from locals,” said a local cop. “It’s difficult to catch them redhanded or act against them due to lack of evidence. So each police station wants to keep them out of their jurisdiction to avoid trouble,” explained an officer.Most of the Nigerian students at Royal Palms find the rent affordable and the place safe.“Why should students be punished for what one or two people have done?” said one.“I moved to the flat a couple of months ago. It is not easy to get flats at affordable rents in the city and that too during the monsoon. If the country does not want to allow Nigerians, they should make it clear. Why should students be punished for what one or two people have done? The regular embarrassment is not fair,” said Maureen Ijeoma, a BA student from B L Amlani College in Vile Parle.A real estate agent, who has issued notices to 10-15 Nigerians at Royal Palms, said they could not go against police orders. “Recently a couple of Nigerians were arrested by the police from the society, after which the police called a meeting (on August 27). They asked us not to rent out flats to Nigerians and get those occupied by Nigerians vacated,” said the agent who lives in the same complex.Officials at Aarey Colony police station admitted to the order, but seemed to be on the back foot as the news spread. “It was a general instruction to the agents after we received complaints from local residents. We don’t have any issues if the students living there have valid documents and if society residents don’t have any complaints against them,” said Vilas Chavan, senior police inspector at the Aarey sub-police station.Another student staying at Royal Palms pointed out that it is difficult to get flats on rent close to their colleges. “Many Nigerians are here for business and some are even here for employment. So they (the police) should try and find some other solution instead of painting us all bad,” said Chike Ezeani, a student from Thakur College.Most of the Nigerian students at Royal Palms are studying in institutes like R D National College, Thakur College, Usha Pravin Gandhi College, etc.On Tuesday evening, around 15 affected students approached the Aarey police station with an appeal to withdraw the order. “The cops have now assured us that they will allow us to stay if we have valid documents,” said a student.There can be less ham-handed ways of controlling crime than racially profiling a section of people. If some enterprising officer in the police force chooses to profile criminals gender-wise, most would be found to be men. So would the solution be to ask men to get out of particularly crime-prone areas of the city? Cops now seem to be on the back foot but seniors in the force should identify the officer who had this brainwave. Investigators must work a little harder and think of saner ways of tackling crime.