PANJIM: A 24-year-old Afghanistan student was seriously wounded after a group of men stabbed him at Dona Paula plateau on Sunday evening. Matihulla Aria, a student of Goa University (GU), has been admitted in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of a private hospital while Panjim Police are waiting for his recovery to record the statement.
So far, one has been arrested as police claim its team has launched a massive manhunt to identify and arrest the other members of the group.
The incident has not only raised security concerns of foreign nationals pursuing their education in the popular tourist destination but also the law and order situation considering that the gang members were allegedly in possession of a weapon.
“We swung into action no sooner a complaint was lodged with us. We have arrested one person who is a native of Maharashtra and search for others is underway. We are treating this investigation on priority. The accused will not be let off the hook,” an officer informed Herald.
A First Information Report (FIR) under Section 326 (causing grievous injury by using dangerous weapons ) and 34 (common intention) of Indian Penal Code has been registered based on a complaint filed by Professor Rahul Tripathi, Director of Foreign Students at GU. The accused Satish Nilkante has been taken into custody and remanded to four days police custody.
Aria, pursuing MCom (Part I) from Goa Business School at GU campus, is accommodated among one per cent of total seats reserved for foreign students. Sources said he along with his compatriot was found at “suicide point” at Dona Paula where the other group members were also present, before the incident.
“One of the Afghanistan nationals fell off the bike and the Indian boy came to their help, but we have learnt that there was some verbal duel between them. They all left thereafter. Metres away, the men stopped the students, who were on a Goa registered two-wheeler and stabbed Aria. They fled from there,” the source informed. Clarity on how the incident unfolded is however a matter of investigation, he added.
Herald spoke to GU officials, who stated they have filed a complaint with the police. “The police are investigating the case,” a senior official in the varsity said.
The official also added that Aria is recovering although doctors have kept him in the ICU for observation. “Doctors said the victim does not require surgery. He is recovering,” he said.
