Gujarat Police was able to arrest five people so far involved in the attack on international students at the Gujarat University hostel for offering Namaz on Saturday. Meanwhile the Gujarat High Court has refused to intervene in the case as the bench stated that this incident cannot be treated as a PIL matter.
Two students, one from Sri Lanka and another from Tajikistan, were hospitalized following the attack on Saturday night.
Gujarat University Assault: Arrests made so far
Police investigating the incident with nine teams, announced the arrest of three more individuals - Kshitij Pandey, Jitendra Patel, and Sahil Dudhatiya - on Monday, adding to the initial arrests of Hitesh Mevada and Bharat Patel.
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Gujarat University Assault: What did the college administration do?
In the wake of the incident, the university has decided to relocate foreign students to a new wing and engage ex-servicemen to beef up security.
The international students will be transferred to a separate hostel designated for Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) within three days. Additionally, a foreign student advisory committee has been established, and ex-Army personnel deployed to fortify security at the premises.
Vice Chancellor Neerja Gupta announced immediate replacements for the study abroad program coordinator and NRI hostel warden.
Gujarat University Assault: What has the police said?
Deputy Commissioner of Police Tarun Duggal assured a thorough probe utilizing technical surveillance and other methods to identify the remaining suspects involved in the assault. An FIR has been registered against 20-25 unidentified assailants for various offenses including rioting, voluntarily causing harm, and criminal trespass.
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Police Commissioner GS Malik disclosed that Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghavi had instructed police officers to take strict and judicial action in the matter. Malik described how a group of individuals had entered the hostel premises, objecting to international students offering Namaz, and proceeded to assault them, vandalizing their rooms in the process.
Gujarat High Court refuses to take congisance
Meanwhile, the Gujarat High Court declined to intervene as a probe agency, emphasizing the role of law enforcement in addressing the matter. Chief Justice Sunita Agarwal stressed the importance of legal channels for seeking recourse on specific issues related to the incident.
Gujarat University currently enrolls around 300 international students from various countries including Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Sri Lanka, and African nations.
