Gujarat University attack: 5 arrested, all associated with saffron outfits

Ahmedabad: The five persons arrested for allegedly attacking foreign students for offering namaz at the hostel premises at Gujarat University on Saturday are associated with Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP). While one of them holds a position, others are said to be activists of the saffron brigade.

The Ahmedabad Crime Branch on Monday said arrested three more accused persons in connection with assault, taking the total number of arrested accused to five. FIR alleges a group of 20 to 25 persons who swarmed into the hotel, beat up at least four students and vandalised their belongings and bikes.

Police said that one of the accused is an AC mechanic while the other works in a paying guest facility in Ahmedabad. So far, police have arrested five of the suspects behind the assault. Those who were arrested on Monday are Kshitij Pandey, 22, a resident of Ambika apartment, Naranpura, Jitendra Patel, 31, a resident of Municipal Karmcharinagar, Ghatlodia and Sahil Dudhtiuva, 21, who lives in Memnagar in Ahmedabad city.

Earlier on Sunday, police had arrested Hitesh Mewada and Bharat Patel. Mewada is said to be holding the post of Memnagar district joint secretary of Bajrang Dal.

"They all are our activists and we are really angry with the state government and the police for the way they are parading them in in front of media as they are hardened criminal. Our demand is that the police should investigate both sides of the issue and not just what is being portrayed," said Hitendra Rajput, the spokesperson of Bajrang Dal.

He told DH, "This (the attack) was a reaction to an action. A foreign student slapped our man. Is this a crime to stop people from offering namaz from public place? They (foreign students) are staying in our country, in our university, on our expense and still they are beating us. How will we tolerate this."

On Saturday night, a mob of about 20 to 25 persons had stormed into the varsity hostel, A block, where 75 international students are staying put. The mob entered the rooms, damaged their belongings and beat up several students. At least four of them were rushed to the hospital. While two of them were discharged after primary medical care, two students-one from Sri Lanka and another from Tajikistan-were hospitalised.

The incident hit headlines after several videos of the attack surfaced. It forced the ministry of external affairs to issue a statement in which it said it was in touch with the Gujarat government.