African students on an international exchange programme had never imagined that they would face racial discrimination in Gujarat.But they were abused, physically heckled and assaulted on the campus of Parul University in Vadodara, Gujarat.This incident of racial discrimination and assault has triggered concerns about students from particular countries coming to Gujarat on exchange programmes.The students were attacked on the campus following heated arguments and racial slurs in the hostel campus. Attempts by Vibes of India to get a response from Parul University authorities failed. Here is a video of the brawl between local and African students on the Parul University campus.#Foreign students assaulted at Parul University in Gujarat. These international students are at Parul University on an exchange programme.@ParulUniversity#paruluniversity #gujarat #vibesofindia pic.twitter.com/kJ5XuTt0X8— Vibes of India (@vibesofindia_) February 22, 2024Vibes of India could not confirm the exact day and time of the footage, but confirmed the incident. Parul University did not approach the police and the issue was “settled” internally, a university student told Vibes of India. No campus security intervened in the matter, the student added.Parul University chose not to issue any official statement on this issue. Parul University is notorious for its misleading claims, unsavoury campus incidents and irregularities.The university, founded in 2009, has been seen controversy for one or the other, time and again.It was in the news due to a paper leak scandal just months ago, resulting in the arrest of a student and an office assistant. Examination papers of the university could easily be purchased.In January 2022, the varsity suspended 40 students for a month as they had raised concern over spreading Covid-19 on the campus and the university insisting on higher fees and declining online classes.Again, in June 2022, even as entire Gujarat was in the grip of Covid-19 and there were over 32,000 active cases in the state, Parul University forced its students to stay on the campus. More than 65 students caught the infection but the management stubbornly refused to go online.Angry students, miffed at the insensitive management, got together and protested against the decision. The management in turn instructed their security guards to “give a good dose” to the students. The guards got into a physical fistfight with the students.The next day the students stormed the campus to demand the university move to online teaching. Videos from the campus showed the students clashing with the security guards outside the main building.An IAS officer, who had earlier worked in Vadodara, had at that time informed Vo! of many other irregularities going on at Parul University and said “they have political blessings and hence they go scot-free despite being a third class place of learning”.Notorious for buying “best university ” rankings and ratings, the income tax department had put Parul University under the radar for misusing documents of at least 200 college students. To save tax, the university, which naturally would collect all documents of its students during admissions, made at least 178 students “Directors” and “Trustees”. They filed these fake declarations with the income tax authorities. The department has registered a complaint against the President and Trustees of Parul University and Parul Arogya Seva Mandal under the Prohibition of Benami Property Transaction Act.Atul Pandya, an officer in the Parul Arogya Seva Mandal Trust since August 4, 2003, was officially grilled by the Income Tax officials in this matter. The confirmed statement of Pandya stated that he was “ignorant about these employees being paid salary. He was not aware of their recruitment procedure. Their attendance was not monitored by him since he was unaware of these salary payments.” Though he looked after salary payments of all employees, he denied payment to these employees.Parul Patel, Managing Trustee of Parul University, had confessed in her recorded statement to the Income Tax Department that bogus expenses were booked as salaries paid to ghost employees on the university’s register.It must be noted that the university was founded by Jayesh Patel. A political turncoat, Jayesh was with the BJP when he was arrested for raping a student in 2016. The student, a 21 year old from a poor family, was studying in Parul University’s nursing college and bravely came forward to complain against the university founder and trustee, Jayesh Patel, then 66 years old within 24 hours after she was raped. Jayesh was then with the BJP, who promptly dismissed him after his DNA profiling confirmed the rape. He was subsequently arrested by Gujarat police. Jayesh had joined the BJP in 2014. He had flirted with several other parties, including Congress, in the past. He had even contested assembly elections on a Congress ticket in the past.Jayesh, a diploma holder in homeopathy, according to the Indian Express used to run a walk-in clinic in Kothi area of Vadodara and his main occupation was to allegedly carry out illegal abortions for Rs 150.He then went on to set up a homeopathy institution in Ahmedabad and finally, the sprawling campus of Parul University, named after his eldest daughter.In the sensational Parul University Rape Case, the police had also arrested then-nursing hostel warden Bhavna Patel. Bhavna was alleged to be assigned to bring new girls to the Parul University founder Jayesh Patel, who was very clear that he was only interested in girls below 22 years of age.The nursing student who had registered the police complaint had said in her FIR that Bhavna Patel took her to university founder Jayesh Patel’s house during the intervening night of June 16 and June 17. The victim had also mentioned in her FIR that Jayesh Patel had threatened to rusticate her from the institute and spoil her career by failing her in exams if she revealed it to anyone.A case was lodged at Waghodia police station against them under sections 376 (rape), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 114 (abetting the crime), and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the IPC by the police.Two months after her rape, the Surat Forensic Science Laboratory Monday confirmed to the Vadodara police that the woman was right and she was indeed raped by Jayesh.Then Local Crime Branch (LCB) police inspector and the investigating officer, K.J. Chaudhari had said, “We received the medical reports from the FSL Surat. The results of all the tests are positive. The DNA profiling is matching. The reports have confirmed that Patel raped the victim. Jayesh Patel who had absconded had been arrested from nearby Anand. Jayesh Patel is believed to have died of kidney failure in a hospital in Ahmedabad where he was in police custody in 2020.Now, his son Devanshu Patel runs the University.This article was originally published on Vibes of India.
