Gujarat: Five arrested for attack on international Muslim students

The Gujarat Police has arrested five persons in connection with the mob attack on international Muslim students in Gujarat University when they were offering namaz, The Indian Express reported.

Three people – 22-year-old Kshitij Kamlesh Pandey, 31-year-old Jitendra Ghanshyam Patel and 21-year-old Sahil Arunbhai Dudhtiuva – were arrested on Monday, while two others, Hitesh Rakhubhai Mewada and Bharat Damodarbhai Patel, had been arrested on Sunday.

At least five international students were injured in the assault on Saturday night, the newspaper reported. The injured students, who are from Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, South Africa and Sri Lanka, were admitted to the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Hospital.

On Monday, the university decided to shift its international students to a different hostel that is meant for Non-Resident Indian students. They will be shifted within three days. The university has also directed security agencies to deploy retired Army personnel to strengthen the security of its hostel blocks, Gujarat University Vice-Chancellor Neerja Gupta told PTI.

On Sunday, India’s Ministry of External Affairs had said that the Gujarat Police is “taking strict action” against the accused persons. Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that the Centre is in touch with the state government regarding the matter.

The police have booked the accused persons under sections 143, 144, (unlawful assembly), 147, 148,149, (rioting,...

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