The Ahmedabad Crime Branch arrested two accused persons in connection with the attack on some overseas students at Gujarat University Hostel.
“In the incident that took place in the Gujarat University yesterday at 10.30 pm, an FIR was registered against a group of 20-25 people. Nine teams were formed to nab the accused…,” Zone 7 Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Tarun Duggal said in a statement on Sunday.
“Two of those accused have been arrested. They have been identified as Hitesh Mewada and Bharat Patel. Search operations to arrest the remaining accused are underway,” the DCP added.
The FIR has been registered under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, he said adding that those arrested will be handed over to the Gujarat University Police Station for further investigation.
Earlier, on Saturday, as many as unidentified 20-25 people allegedly attacked a group of foreign students, pelted stones and vandalised hostel rooms in the hostel premises of Gujarat University in Ahmedabad while they were offering Namaz.
Describing details of the incident, Ahmedabad Commissioner of Police, GS Malik, said around 300 foreign students study at Gujarat University and around 75 of them stay in the A Block of the hostel.
“Yesterday, around 10.30 pm, a group of students were offering Namaz. Around 20-25 people came and asked them why they were offering Namaz there, adding that they should, instead, do it in a masjid. An argument broke out between them, stones were pelted and their rooms were vandalised by the people who came from outside,” the commissioner said.
“Police took swift action and FIR was registered against 20-25 people. Action will be taken against those involved in the incident. One of these outsiders has been identified. The law and order situation is under control now. Two injured students from Sri Lanka and Tajikistan have been admitted to the hospital,” he added.
The Vice Chancellor of Gujarat University, Neerja Arun Gupta, said an FIR has been registered in the matter and the police and the government have taken a serious note of the incident.
“Last night, around 10.30 pm, an incident took place in the hostel where our foreign students stay. Around 300 overseas students study here and 75 of them stay in the hostel’s A block, which is dedicated to foreign students. There was a clash between two groups after which, the issue escalated. Some foreign students were injured. An FIR has been registered. The police and the government have taken serious note of the matter and an investigation is underway. Some videos of the attack have gone viral and the police are in the process of probing what led to the incident,” she said.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) informed that it was in touch with the Gujarat government over the incident.
“The state government is taking strict action against the perpetrators and two foreign students were injured in the clash,” the MEA said in a post on X.
“An incidence of violence took place at Gujarat University in Ahmedabad yesterday. The state government is taking strict action against the perpetrators. Two foreign students were injured in the clash. One of them has been discharged from hospital after receiving medical attention. MEA is in touch with the Gujarat Government,” the MEA’s official spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal, posted on X.
