An African footballer from Ivory Coast was beaten by a mob of spectators and allegedly racially abused during a soccer match between local clubs in Kerala’s Malappuram district, police said on Wednesday.

The incident came to light when a video of the assault began circulating on social media. A complaint was filed by the foreign national, with the Malappuram District Police Chief on Tuesday, where the victim alleged that he was racially abused, pelted with stones, and beaten up by some of the spectators.

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A total of 15 people have been named in the FIR. An officer from the Areekode police station told PTI that the player’s statement had been recorded, though it took some time due to language barriers.

The FIR has been filed under various sections of the IPC, including 308 (attempt to commit culpable homicide) and 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, and race).

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The footballer detailed in his complaint to the local police that he was stoned to the ground and assaulted by a group of fans who also subjected him to racial abuse.

Hassane Junior was recruited by the football club Jawahar Mavoor to participate in sevens football, a variation of the game featuring seven players on each side. However, the reported attack occurred on March 10 while the player from West Africa was participating in a five-a-side match near Areekode.

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“Our team got a corner kick when my team was leading by a goal. I went near the corner flag for taking the kick, and the natives and the audience called me a monkey. One among the audience threw a stone at me and it hit my head. When I turned back, two more stones were hurled at me and they started screaming at me. Those people who threw stones at me were saying f**k African monkey, black cat,” Hasan stated in his complaint, according to The Indian Express.

Notably, police informed that they had received another complaint from the individual who claimed to have been kicked by the player. “Since he is a foreign national, we are giving priority to his complaint,” police said.

Players from African countries are often a significant attraction in sevens tournaments in Malappuram and other northern districts of Kerala. Typically, matches are held from November to May, drawing large crowds and makeshift galleries.