Two Indian medical students were stabbed to death in Ukraine while another sustained serious injuries in the attack on early Sunday morning. The attack was allegedly carried out by three Ukrainian nationals who have been apprehended while trying to cross the Ukrainian border. The Indian Embassy in Kiev has taken up the matter with the Government of Ukraine and sought the safety of Indian students, as a large number of them are studying medicine there.
“I am sorry two Indian students Pranav Shandilya of Muzaffarnagar and Ankur Singh (Ghaziabad) were stabbed to death in Ukraine on April 10. Inderjeet Singh Chauhan (Agra) is recuperating in hospital,” External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj tweeted.
Shandilya was a third-year student while Singh was a fourth-year student at the college. The Indian Embassy in Kiev was informed of the incident around 11 am on Sunday and it has been trying to ascertain the facts from the police, the Uzhgorod Medical College authorities and other local contacts.
“In an unfortunate event, three Indian students in Uzhgorod Medical College were stabbed by three Ukrainian nationals at around 3 am on Sunday, April 10,” External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup said on Monday. “Based on his (Chauhan) statement, the police apprehended the Ukrainian nationals who were trying to cross the Ukrainian border. Passports and documents of the three Indian students and a blood-stained knife were reportedly recovered from the Ukrainian nationals,” Swarup said.
“The Embassy has spoken to the families of the two deceased students. All necessary actions are being taken to complete the formalities for sending the two bodies to India. The Embassy is also taking up the matter related to the safety of Indian students strongly with the Foreign Office of Ukraine,” Swarup added.
Roughly 5,000 Indian students are pursuing MBBS and MD in various medical colleges in Ukraine.