Three Rwandan university students were on Wednesday arrested in India for allegedly “eve-teasing” (using vulgar words against) an Indian lady.Media reports on Thursday said the trio committed the offence in Jalandhar in the northwest Indian state of Punjab. The High Commission of Rwanda in New Delhi, confirmed the arrests when contacted by The New Times yesterday, saying it was following up the issue.“The High Commission has been working with the local police, the LPU authorities and Rwandan student leaders to secure the release of the three students on bail. Indications are that the students will be released tomorrow [today] once their bail has been posted,” said a statement from the embassy. It added that students maintain their innocence, arguing that the claims by Ms Ashish Sharma, 35 and a single mother, are not truthful.“They acknowledge that they met her walking on the street at around 4:00pm and asked her for directions to a location they were looking for. On seeing that she was visibly frightened and agitated, the accused reportedly drove away from her and were arrested half an hour later by Police officers,” the statement e-mailed to The New Times added.According to the High Commission, following the allegations by the Indian lady, the three students were arrested and brought to the police station in Jalandhar city, and a case under Section 354 (assault or using criminal force on a woman with intent to outrage her modesty), a bailable offence, was registered against all the accused at the Rama Mandi police. The High Commission notes that the trio’s case comes at a time when emotions are running high in India following the tragic death of an Indian girl, now known as the Delhi Braveheart, a victim of a brutal gang rape.
