In a suspected racist attack, three Indian students of the Uzhgorod Medical College in Ukraine were stabbed on Sunday. Two of them, Pranav Shandilya of Muzaffarnagar and Ankur Singh of Ghaziabad, died. The third, Inderjeet Singh Chauhan of Agra, is recovering in hospital.
The Ukrainian authorities apprehended three locals, who were trying to flee the country, in connection with the incident. Officials in the Ministry of External Affairs told The Hindu that investigation and arrests were helped by the account provided by the surviving student.
The MEA said arrangements were being made to bring back the bodies of the two students.
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Ukrainian media had earlier reported that the three were attacked at their rented flat near the medical college and some of their belongings were taken away by the assailants.
The incident is significant as reports of attacks on Indians with racist overtones have been reported in recent weeks from various East European countries.
Students and professionals from the region had told External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj through her Twitter account about racist and gang attacks on people of Asian origin.
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The family members of Pranav Shandilya said the government should ensure that action is taken against the culprits. They wanted his body to be brought home as soon as possible.
“When I talked to Pranav four days back, he didn’t tell me anything that should have alarmed us or indicated that he was in danger,” said his father Parmesh Sharma (56).
“When he visited us in Muzaffarnagar in August last, he said he was planning to go to the United States after completing his MD.”
Mr. Sharma said nobody from the government or the local administration had contacted the family. Pranav had gone to Ukraine in 2008 and was in the final year of his MD course.
His sister Kamakshi had also studied in Ukraine and is now practising in a hospital in Delhi.