A total of five persons have been arrested by police in relation to the attack on international students at the Gujarat University hostel for offering Namaz. Following the attack, the varsity has decided to relocate foreign students to a new wing and engage ex-servicemen to bolster security.
Police, which formed nine teams to probe and identify all the assailants, arrested three more persons Kshitij Pandey, Jitendra Patel, and Sahil Dudhatiya today, Monday, March 18, adding to the initial arrests of Hitesh Mevada and Bharat Patel. This brings the total number of arrested persons to five, police said, adding that efforts were underway to nab the remaining culprits.
Taking immediate measures, the government-run university has decided to transfer international students to a separate hostel designated for Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) within three days. Additionally, a foreign student advisory committee has been established, along with the deployment of ex-Army personnel to fortify the hostel premises' security.
Gujarat University's Vice-Chancellor, Neerja Gupta, announced the immediate replacement of the study abroad programme coordinator and NRI hostel warden. Deputy Commissioner of Police Tarun Duggal said a thorough probe is ongoing, employing technical surveillance and other methods to identify remaining suspects involved in the attack.
According to PTI, the police have registered an FIR against 20-25 unidentified assailants for various offences including rioting, voluntarily causing harm, and criminal trespass.
Court intervenes
Amid these developments, the Gujarat High Court declined to intervene as a probe agency, affirming that not every incident warrants a Public Interest Litigation (PIL). The court's stance emphasises the role of law enforcement in addressing the matter, urging legal channels for those seeking recourse on specific issues related to the incident.
Gujarat High Court Chief Justice Sunita Agarwal said, "Don't substitute this court with police inspectors. Don't make us the inspector of police. We are not investigating officers," as stated in a report by PTI.