Gujarat University namaz row: 2 held for attacking foreign students, search for others underway

The police on Sunday said they have arrested two men and are looking for more after international students in Ahmedabad's Gujarat University were assaulted in the hostel for offering namaz.

Two students – one from Sri Lanka and another from Tajikistan – were hospitalised after the Saturday night incident.

DCP (Zone 7) Tarun Duggal said that the two arrested accused have been identified as Hitesh Mevada and Bharat Patel. "Search operations to arrest the remaining accused are underway".

"An FIR was registered against 20-25 unidentified accused persons under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for rioting, unlawful assembly, voluntarily causing hurt, damage to property, and criminal trespass, among others. Two of those accused have been arrested," Duggal added.

Police Commissioner GS Malik informed that as many as nine teams, including four from the crime branch and five from local police under DCP, have been formed to probe the incident.

Reacting to the incident, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the Gujarat government is taking strict action against the perpetrators of violence.

Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal informed that one of the two foreign students injured in the violence has been discharged from hospital.

"An incidence of violence took place at Gujarat University in Ahmedabad yesterday. 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," he said in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

The incident was reported at around 10:50 pm yesterday when around two dozen people barged into the Gujarat University hostel and raised an objection to international students offering namaz in the facility where they stayed, the police said. 

Two groups clashed on the premises of the A-block hostel where 75 international students were staying, said Gujarat University Vice Chancellor Neerja Gupta.

"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 added.

(With agency inputs)