Afghan student stabbed near Goa University after brawl; 3 held

A 24-year-old Afghan student of the Goa University was stabbed and injured by some men near here after an argument, police said on Tuesday and ruled out any "campus rivalry" as the trigger.

Three persons have been arrested in connection with the incident which occurred on Monday afternoon in Dona Paula area near the varsity campus, a police official said.

The stabbing had prompted the opposition Congress to allege that youths are getting provoked due to the "poison" of "state-sponsored" actions.

The victim student, Mathihulla Aria, is pursuing M.Com at the varsity's Goa Business School.

He was admitted in the Intensive Care Unit of a private hospital in Dona Paula for the stab injuries.

While Satish Nilkanthe, a resident of Maharashtra, was arrested on Monday, Desmond Fernandes and Suresh Nageri were picked up on Tuesday, said police inspector Sudesh Naik.

He said another accused, identified only as Jonty, is on the run.

"The incident was purely a clash between two groups which have nothing to do with the Goa University," the inspector said when asked about the motive behind the attack.

Narrating the sequence of the events of Monday, Naik said Nilkanthe and three others had an argument with Aria near Dona Paula plateau after which he called up fellow Afghani students for help.

"When a large number of Afghani students rushed to the aid of Aria, the four persons stabbed him and fled," he said.

A police complaint was lodged by Rahul Tripathi, director of foreign students at the Goa University.

Meanwhile, National Students' Union of India (NSUI) Goa chief Ahraz Mulla wrote a letter to Governor Satya Pal Malik after the incident and expressed fear of a "JNU-like situation" in the Goa University.

He demanded strong action against those who were spoiling the harmony of Goa University and police protection in all colleges of the state to prevent a "JNU or Jamia-like" situation.

Goa Pradesh Congress Committee president Girish Chodankar demanded a thorough probe into the incident, which he said has "tarnished the image of Goa".