BENGALURU: A 29-year-old Congolese national working as a software engineer with an IT company in the city was attacked by a group of men in Mahadevapura , east Bengaluru, on Sunday afternoon.

The attackers accused the techie of making lewd gestures at a woman.

Mande Legrand Tshipande , a Democratic Republic of Congo passport holder and resident of AECS Layout, was attacked when he was going to the house of a Congolese friend near CMRIT College in the area.

A police complaint lodged by a woman said Mande had allegedly offered Rs 500 to a woman who runs a laundry nearby and solicited sexual favours on March 9. The woman brought the issue to the notice of her husband. Mande allegedly made lewd gestures at the woman. Angered by his behaviour, a group of youths residing near his place allegedly beat him up and took him to the police station.

In his counter-complaint, Mande said a group of local youths stopped him and spoke rudely to him in a language he did not understand. The group thrashed him with cricket bats and wickets and stones. Mande said he managed to escape from the attackers, made a phone call to one of his friends and approached Mahadevapura police station.

Mande denied the woman’s allegations and told the police that on the said day, he was in office. He said there was no question of him approaching any woman running a laundry shop as he washes and irons his clothes by himself.

Mahadevapura police are verifying the facts, deputy commissioner of police (east) Satish Kumar said.

Kumar said while the Congolese national has been booked under Section 345 A (physical contact and advances involving unwelcome and explicit sexual overtures; or a demand or request for sexual favours), the woman, husband and brother have been booked under Section 323 (assault).

On March 9, at least six Africans were attacked in Hennur by mobs. Police arrested nine persons in this connection.

On Thursday, a Ghanaian national overstaying his tourist visa was arrested after he allegedly attacked policemen who tried to pick him up from an eatery. Police claimed he ran a money doubling racket.

