ಗುಜರಾತ್ ಹಾಸ್ಟೆಲ್ದ ಉಲೈ ನಮಾಜ್ ಮಲ್ತೊಂದಿತ್ತಿನ ಪರ ಊರುದ ವಿದ್ಯಾರ್ಥಿಲೆನ ಮಿತ್ತ್ ಗುಂಪು ಹಲ್ಲೆ ಮಲ್ದ್ಂಡ್
Ahmedabad: A mob carrying sticks and knives stormed a Gujarat University hostel and attacked foreign students from African countries, Afghanistan and Uzbekistan for allegedly offering namaz. The incident took place when students gathered inside the hostel to offer a namaz offered at night during Ramazan. The angry mob not only attacked the students but also damaged their laptops, phones and bikes.
The videos from the Gujarat University campus have been shared widely on social media. In the viral videos, the unidentified men can be seen attacking the students kicking their two-wheelers and damaging them. LiveMint couldn’t independently verify the authenticity of the videos.
The videos shared on social media also show accused people throwing stones at the hostel and hurling abuses at the foreign students. Whereas, students can be heard saying that they are “scared” and that what happened “is unacceptable”
Neerajkumar Badgujar, the additional commissioner of police (crime) for Ahmedabad city, confirmed that an FIR has been filed and assured that the attackers will be arrested soon. About the injured foreign students, Badgujar said only one remains hospitalised, while the others have already been treated and discharged.
“Last night around 11 pm, 10-15 persons from outside came into our hostel campus. Three of them entered our hostel building while we were offering namaz. They told us we were not allowed to do so here and shouted slogans of Jai Shri Ram. They pushed the security guard out and then attacked the people offering namaz. When other non-Muslim foreign national students came to our help, they were also attacked. Their rooms were ransacked, and laptops, mobile phones and mirrors were damaged. Five students, including two from South Africa and one each from Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, and Sri Lanka, have been injured,” recounted a student from Afghanistan who was present during the incident. The student claimed that the police reached the spot after the intruders had fled.
Gujarat home minister Harsh Sanghavi has convened an urgent meeting with senior officials, including the director general of police (DGP) of Gujarat Police and the joint commissioner of police (JCP) of the crime branch, to address the matter, said an official.
Gujarat University police station PI SR Bava said they were investigating the matter and refused to divulge more details at this stage. The five injured students have been shifted to SVP Hospital.
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