Students from Uzbekistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan faced a disturbing incident while praying in the hostel of Gujarat University in Ahmedabad, India. The New Indian Express reported the attack based on information from local police on March 17.
Police Commissioner Malik provided details of the incident, stating that it occurred on March 16 around 10:50 PM at the government-owned Gujarat University hostel. He mentioned that approximately twenty individuals entered the hostel and objected to foreign students praying on the premises.
A video of the attack circulated on social media, revealing the severity of the situation. Some students sustained injuries and are currently receiving treatment in hospitals. Due to the absence of a mosque in Ahmedabad, the students had gathered inside the dormitory to perform Taraweeh prayers during Ramadan.
An Afghan student recounted the events, explaining how unidentified individuals questioned their right to pray in the dormitory. Although the police arrived at the scene, they allowed the perpetrators to flee. The student further lamented that the attackers even entered their rooms, causing damage to their belongings such as laptops, phones, and motorcycles.
Among the five injured individuals, there is one citizen from Afghanistan, one from Sri Lanka, one from Turkmenistan, and two from African countries. Despite the efforts of the dormitory guard to intervene, the attackers managed to carry out the assault.
Expressing concerns for their safety, an Afghan student appealed to Gujarat University to relocate them to a secure environment. Commissioner Malik disclosed that approximately 300 international students, including those from Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Sri Lanka, and African countries, are studying at Gujarat University.
The incident took place in the A-block dormitory, where around 75 foreign students reside. Malik elaborated on the confrontation, stating that a group of 20-25 people entered the dormitory and demanded that foreign students pray in a mosque instead. This led to a physical altercation, during which the foreign students were attacked and stones were thrown.
Two students, one from Sri Lanka and the other from Tajikistan, were hospitalized as a result of the assault. Malik assured that the authorities were taking swift action, with plans to arrest the perpetrators soon. He mentioned that nine teams, including the criminal department and police officers, were deployed for the search operation.
Gujarat Home Minister Harsh Sangavi instructed law enforcement agencies to ensure the immediate arrest of the culprits and conduct a thorough investigation into the matter.
Response of Uzbekistan
The spokesperson for the Uzbek Ministry of Foreign Affairs clarified that Uzbekistan nationals were not involved in the incident at Gujarat University as circulated on social media.
"Citizens of our country did not participate in the incident at Gujarat University, which was spread on social networks," said Ahror Burhanov, press secretary of foreign minister.
Burhanov mentioned that among the students listed in the consular records of the Uzbek Embassy in India, there are no individuals studying in Gujarat. Additionally, the embassy has not received any complaints or requests for assistance from Uzbek students regarding the incident.
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