Five individuals have been apprehended by police in India following an incident where international students were assaulted while observing Ramadan prayers in a university hostel. According to reports from BBC, a confrontation erupted at Gujarat University in western India over the venue for the prayers on Saturday.
Police sources revealed that the altercation resulted in injuries to five students, who received medical treatment. India’s foreign ministry confirmed the incident, stating that the Gujarat government is taking strict measures against the perpetrators.
Ahmedabad city’s police commissioner, GS Malik, informed journalists that a group of about twenty-four individuals entered the hostel on Saturday night, objecting to the students’ prayers and demanding they relocate to a mosque. This led to a physical altercation, with the assailants hurling stones and vandalizing the students’ rooms. An investigative team has been deployed to probe the matter.
Senior police official Tarun Duggal disclosed to BBC Gujarati that five men—identified as Hitesh Mewada, Bharat Patel, Shitij Pandey, Jitendra Patel, and Sunil Dudhirua—have been arrested in connection with the incident. However, they have yet to provide public statements while in police custody. Authorities indicated the possibility of further arrests in the ongoing investigation.
While police have not confirmed any affiliations of the suspects with political or religious organizations, eyewitnesses reported the involvement of a mob chanting Hindu religious slogans during the attack, as depicted in circulating online videos.
Of the injured students, three have been discharged from the hospital, while two remain in stable condition. One of the victims, Navid Siddique from Afghanistan, recounted to the Times of India how the altercation escalated into a violent assault with stones and iron pipes.
Noman, another Afghan student, expressed concern over recurring incidents of this nature, highlighting the risks faced by foreign students in India. Gujarat University’s vice-chancellor, Dr. Neerja A Gupta, acknowledged longstanding tensions between international students and aggressors, indicating plans to relocate affected students to more secure accommodations.
Instances of tensions surrounding public Muslim prayers have been documented in India previously, underscoring broader societal issues. Notably, in 2021, Muslims faced disruptions and protests while praying in public areas in Gurgaon, while a recent incident in Delhi involved a police officer being suspended for assaulting Muslims praying by the roadside.
