Mizo student killed in football match brawl
Source: The Sangai Express / IP Singh (Courtesy TNN)

Phagwara, April 27 2011: A Mizoram student was killed by a group of Sudanese and a Tanzanian student in Lovely Professional University.

The scuffle took place on Tuesday night late evening over some trivial issue during a football match between Mizo and Sudanese students and the student died around midnight.

Two Sudanese students and one Tanzanian have been named in the FIR registered on the statement of university official and they have been arrested by the police.

Deceased Johny F Lalhmangaih Zuala (22) student of B Tech (Civil) Second year, was badly thrashed and he succumbed to his internal injuries in a hospital around midnight following which Indian students went on a ransacking spree inside the University and police had to be called.

It is learnt that the ransacking took place around the hostel where Mizo students were staying as the latter vent out their ire after death of their friend.

According to an eyewitness, who was part of the Mizo team during a semifinal football match between the Mizo team and Sudan Eagle Team, in the late evening on Tuesday, Johny had scored a goal and their team was ahead of Sudan with one goal.

"We wanted to replace a team mate while a free kick was given to the Sudanese team and suddenly a few infuriated members of the Sudanese team pounced upon Johny.

Even before we could rush to save him they had already rained blows and kicks on him and Johny fell unconscious," the Mizo player, who did not want to be identified told TOI.

"We did try to save him and finally, with the help of university officials who were present there, managed to separate them but the damage had already been done in 2-3 minutes as apart from the Sudanese team some of their supporters had also surrounded the victim," he said.

The victim was then rushed to Gandhi Hospital Phagwara where he died around midnight.

As the news of his death spread angry Mizo and other Indian students went on a ransacking spree.

Apart from damaging some kiosks they also targeted some vehicles belonging to the University.

The university authorities then called police on whom also stones were pelted by the angry students and an ASI Ramandeep Singh sustained injuries while a couple of other got gashes.

While sources revealed that police also fired in the air to control the mob on rampage but SHO Sadar Phagwara Ravinder Singh denied it.

Case against two Sudanese students Hashim Idriss, Ahmad Aigaly and one Tanzanian student Saeed Fesial has been registered under sections 302 and 34 of IPC on the basis of the statement of LPU Security Officer Surinder Khurana.

Meanwhile, heavy deployment of police was made in the University.

Sources said that international students, especially those from African counties, were sent outside the university campus to avoid any backlash attack on them.

A leader of Jalandhar Mizo Students Union told that Johny's father was working as SDO in Mizoram PWD and was posted in a remote area and could not be informed about the death of his son till noon.

Meanwhile, LPU authorities have made arrangements to transport his body to Mizoram.

Mizo students converged at Civil Hospital Phagwara where postmortem was conducted.

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