Mob attacks foreign students for offering namaz; two held

AHMEDABAD: The police arrested two men and are looking for more for allegedly assaulting students from foreign countries in the Gujarat University hostel in Ahmedabad for offering namaz. A student from Sri Lanka and another from Tajikistan were hospitalised after the attack which took place on Saturday night.

Nine teams have been formed to probe the incident, said Police Commissioner GS Malik, while DC Tarun Duggal said an FIR was registered against 20-25 unidentified persons for rioting, unlawful assembly, voluntarily causing hurt, damage to property, and criminal trespass, among others, and that two persons - Hitesh Mevada and Bharat Patel - have been arrested so far.

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, said the Commissioner.

The incident was reported around 10.50 pm on Saturday when nearly two dozen people barged into the State-run university’s hostel and objected to students offering namaz. “[They asked] them to do so in a mosque. They argued over the issue, assaulting them and hurled stones, and also vandalised their rooms,” Malik said.

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

Gujarat University Vice Chancellor Neerja Gupta said that two groups clashed on the premises of the A-block hostel where 75 international students stayed. “The matter escalated and some international students were hurt. An FIR has been registered. The government and police have taken the matter seriously and an investigation is underway,” she told media persons.