Kashmiri college students ‘beaten’ up in Haryana, 3 arrested after Mufti demands probe

Three people were arrested on Saturday over the assault on two Kashmiri students in Haryana’s Mahendargarh district, hours after Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti took serious exception to the incident and demanded a probe.

The two students of Central University of Haryana (CUH), Aftab Ahmed, 23, and Amjad Ali, 22, both pursuing MSc, were thrashed by a group near Masani Chowk area on Friday when they were returning to the campus after offering prayers at a nearby mosque.

Police said the altercation between Kashmiri students and the accused started after a motorcycle collision, following which they called in more men who thrashed the two students.

Mahendragarh SP Kamaldeep Goyal said on the basis of CCTV footage, police identified six persons involved in the incident. While three were arrested, efforts were on to nab the others, Goyal said. “The interrogation of those arrested is going on. We are trying to find out why the accused attacked the students,” the SP added. The police swung into action after Mufti urged the Haryana government to take stringent action against the perpetrators and demanded a probe into the incident.

Speaking to the media, the students said the attack by a group of 15-20 people was unprovoked. “My friend and I were coming back from Mahendergarh town after offering Friday namaz when we noticed some men following us. We did not take it seriously, since we had been living here for almost two years. But suddenly, when we reached the chowk, and stopped our bike, the men started thrashing us mercilessly,” said Aftab.

“My friend somehow managed to escape, but the group of men continued to attack me. We kept asking them what has happened and what did we do but they kept beating us,’’ said Aftab, adding that the nearby shopkeepers did not come to their rescue. “Instead of helping us, it seemed even shopkeepers soon became part of the mob and joined them in thrashing us,” Ahmed alleged.

After reaching the university, they informed the faculty about the incident, who lodged a complaint with the police. A case against unknown men under Sections 323 (voluntary causing hurt) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code was registered.

Oppn stages walkout in J-K assembly

The Jammu and Kashmir assembly also witnessed noisy scenes over the incident, with opposition members staging a walkout during zero hour, accusing the government of failing to check such incidents.

First to raise the issue were National Conference (NC)?MLA Mubarak Gul and People’s Democratic Front MLA Mohammed Hakeem Yaseen. Criticising the attack, they said Kashmiri youth studying in other parts of the country were not safe.

NC legislator from Pahalgam Altaf Ahmed Kaloo said Jammu and Kashmir residents were hated outside the state and the government must ensure their security. In a bid to pacify the Opposition, minister for parliamentary affairs AR Veeri said the home secretary had spoken to the Haryana DGP.

CPM legislator MY Tarigami demanded that the House should pass a resolution for the safety of J&K students and businessmen in other parts of the country. The resolution should be sent to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he added.