Lathicharge by Police on protesting students at Banaras Hindu University,clashes also broke out (earlier visuals) ANI Photo via Twitter.
Around a dozen students, including several girls, were injured as violence rocked Banaras Hindu University (BHU) late on Saturday night after cops tried to forcibly disperse girls protesting increasing incidents of eve-teasing on the campus.
According to the sources, the security personnel baton charged the girls and fired in the air to disperse the agitating students, who had been demanding that the vice-chancellor should come out of his residence and meet them to discuss the issues relating to their security.
Eyewitness accounts said that male cops carrying batons chased the girls into their hostels and thrashed them though the officials denied the charge.
The varsity security also allegedly ''misbehaved'' with the girls, eyewitnesses said. ''The security guards and cops hit us with their boots when we fell on the ground,'' alleged one of the girls.
The male students, who also later came out of their hostels in support of the girls and clashed with the cops, sources said.
The cops again used force, when the girl students took out a silent march on the campus on Sunday to protest the lathi charge, sources said.
A few vehicles were torched by the agitating students, who also indulged in stone pelting.
BHU administration announced the closure of the varsity till October two, sources said adding that students had been directed to vacate the hostels.
Varsity spokesman Rajesh Singh said that ''outside elements'' had created trouble on the campus. ''It is a deliberate attempt to tarnish the image of the varsity..outsiders were responsible for the trouble,'' Singh claimed.
As the videos of cops beating the girls went viral on the social networking sites triggering all-round condemnation, chief minister Yogi Adityanath directed the Varanasi district administration to investigate the matter and submit a report, sources here said.
Hundreds of girls had staged a demonstration at the main entrance of the varsity on Thursday night in protest against rising incidents of eve-teasing on the campus.
Some girl students got their heads shaved to register their protest against alleged attempt to molest them on the campus. Sources said that a student of bachelor of fine arts course was allegedly molested by three boys while she was on the way back to her hostel from class on Thursday evening.
The girl alleged that she reported the matter to the chief proctor of the varsity but the latter asked her to ''forget'' about it as PM was going to be in the town.
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