Rajkot: Police on lookout for man who wrote abusive words on car ‘to frame’ African student

According to police, Jefferson, who has been identified by only one name, was on his way back from the market along with his two sisters when his bike almost ran into the car being driven by one Ravi in Gauridad village.

Ravi got out of his car and engaged in a spat with the student of Marwadi University before hitting him with a stick on the chest, according to a statement from Kuvadva road police station on Sunday. Ravi then fled from the spot, leaving his car behind.

Meanwhile, on getting to know about the incident, a few students from Jefferson’s university arrived at the spot.

Around this time, 25 residents of the village also gathered near the abandoned car.

The villagers alleged that the foreign students had carved swear words against Indians on the dust on the car’s windshield. However, the students denied the allegation, stating they had video footage of the entire incident from the moment Ravi fled the spot.

“The video shows a local man writing the swear words abusing Indians. The police are attempting to nab this person,” said the statement from the police.The police said the issue stemmed from a three-year-old dispute between the people of Gauridad village and some foreign students after which the entire village had resolved not to give homes to African students on rent.

Based on Saturday’s incident, an application was filed at Kuvadva police station by the African students of the university and further investigation is underway. Naresh Jadeja, registrar of Marwadi University, told The Indian Express, “The incident that happened on Saturday night following a road accident was reported to the police by the students. Nobody was injured or harmed but it involved a verbal dispute. Since students were not at fault, we are with them. The police called both the parties and resolved the issue.”

Inspector BP Rajya of Kuvadva Road police station said, “We have not converted the application into an FIR because the students decided against it in the larger interest of peace. However, we have recorded their statements as well as that of the car owner (who was later tracked down). We are still looking to apprehend the person who wrote the abuses on the car.”