Indian authorities have denied that the killing of a Zimbabwean student in the country was motivated by hate.
The 22-year-old student, Leeroy Ziweya, was assaulted by a group of eight people on 13 August and succumbed to his injuries on Thursday.
Police said the attackers, including Dilpreet Singh, a security guard at Guru Kashi University in Talwandi Sabo, Bathinda district, used sticks, baseball bats, and sharp-edged weapons during the assault.
Ziweya, who was pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Radiology and Imaging Technology (BSc RIT), died at AIIMS Bathinda, where he had been admitted with severe head injuries and placed on life support.
According to investigators, the attack stemmed from an argument the previous day between Ziweya and the security guard after a baseball bat was discovered in his car.
Police have added a murder charge to the First Information Report (FIR) initially filed against the eight suspects. Seven have been arrested so far.
Both police and university authorities have declined to provide further details on the motive.
Guru Kashi University’s public relations officer, Lavlin Sachdeva, confirmed that Ziweya’s parents had been informed of his death.
Said Sachdeva:
“The university, with help from the embassy, is sending the body to Zimbabwe.”
