5 Arrested For Attacking International Students at Gujarat Hostel, say Police
Ahmedabad, 19th March. Police have arrested a total of five individuals in connection with an attack on international students at the Gujarat University hostel while they were offering Namaz. The university has decided to relocate foreign students to a new wing and increase security by involving ex-servicemen.Three more individuals – Kshitij Pandey, Jitendra Patel, and Sahil Dudhatiya – were arrested on Monday, in addition to the initial arrests of Hitesh Mevada and Bharat Patel. Police have formed nine teams to investigate and identify all the attackers.Efforts are ongoing to apprehend the remaining culprits, with a total of five individuals currently in custody. The incident involved a group assaulting students for praying near the hostel block on Saturday.
The university has decided to transfer international students to a separate hostel designated for Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) within three days. They have also established a foreign student advisory committee and deployed ex-Army personnel to enhance security.
Gujarat University’s Vice Chancellor, Neerja Gupta, announced the immediate replacement of the study abroad program coordinator and NRI hostel warden. Deputy Commissioner of Police Tarun Duggal stated that a thorough investigation is ongoing using technical surveillance to identify the remaining suspects.
Police have filed an FIR against 20-25 unidentified assailants for various offenses, including rioting, causing harm, and trespassing. Two students from Sri Lanka and Tajikistan were hospitalized after the attack on Saturday night.
The Gujarat High Court declined to intervene, emphasizing the role of law enforcement in addressing the issue. They urged individuals seeking recourse to use legal channels rather than filing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL).
Police Commissioner GS Malik reported that Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghavi instructed police officers to take strict and judicial action in the matter. Around 300 international students are enrolled at Gujarat University from various countries.
Civil society groups condemned the attack on international students and demanded strict action against the perpetrators and police personnel who allegedly failed to intervene. Zafar Sareshwala, a Gujarat-based businessman, discussed the issue with state officials and expressed hope that such incidents would not happen again.
Civil rights NGO Peoples Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) and the Socialist Unity Centre of India (Communist) state organizing committee also condemned the incident and called for action against the accused and police officers who were present but did not prevent the attack.
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