Two arrested for assault on foreign students offering namaz at Gujarat University

The Ahmedabad Crime Branch police have arrested two men for the alleged assault on foreign students who were offering namaz at the Gujarat University hostel's premises.

The accused have been identified as Hitesh Rakhubhai Mewada and Bharat Damodarbhai Patel.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Tarun Duggal told PTI news agency that nine teams have been formed to arrest more accused and probe the incident.

An FIR has also been lodged against at least 25 unidentified accused under various sections of the Indian Penal Code for rioting, unlawful assembly, voluntarily causing hurt, damage to property, and criminal trespass, among others.

Two students – one from Sri Lanka and another from Tajikistan – were hospitalised after the incident which took place in the A-block hostel on Saturday night, they said.

Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghavi held a meeting with police officers and directed them to take strict and judicial action in the matter, Malik said.

The incident was reported at around 10.50 pm on Saturday when nearly two dozen people barged into the (government-run) Gujarat University's hostel and raised an objection to students from foreign countries offering namaz in the facility where they stayed, the police officer said.

Several purported videos of the alleged incident have also surfaced showing people pelting stones, and in one incident a man is seen slapping a university staffer, Malik said.

He said that the police are verifying the authenticity of these videos.

There are around 300 international students enrolled at Gujarat University, including from Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Sri Lanka and countries in Africa, Malik said.

(With PTI inputs)

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