Gujarat University Case: Two Arrested After International Students Attacked For Offering Namaz In Hostel

A group of unidentified 20-25 people allegedly attacked a group of foreign students who were offering Namaz at hostel.

New Delhi: Ahmedabad police on Sunday arrested two accused in connection with the Gujarat University Hostel incident. An FIR was registered on Saturday after students hailing from different foreign countries were assaulted allegedly by a group of persons in the Gujarat University hostel in Ahmedabad for offering namaz there.

Speaking to ANI, Zone 7 DCP Tarun Duggal said that the FIR was registered against a group of 20-25 people and 9 teams were formed to nab the accused. Two of the accused who have been arrested by the Ahmedabad crime branch are Hitesh Mewada and Bharat Patel.

"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... Two of those accused have been arrested, Hitesh Mewada and Bharat Patel... Search operations to arrest the remaining accused are underway," said DCP Duggal.

On Saturday, a group of 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 that around 300 foreign students study at Gujarat University and around 75 foreign students stay in A Block of Hostel.

"Yesterday, at around 10:30 pm a group of students were offering Namaz. Around 20-25 people came and asked them why they were offering Namaz here & should instead read it in the Masjid. An argument broke out between them, stones were pelted and their rooms were vandalised by the people who came from outside," he said.

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, the police said.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA)said is in touch with the Gujarat government over the incident of an alleged mob attack on some foreign students of Gujarat University when they were offering Namaz in the university hostel.

The state government is taking strict action against the perpetrators and two foreign students were injured in the clash, 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," MEA official spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal posted on X.