AMN /Lucknow
A group of madarsa students were allegedly beaten up with a cricket bat and their clothes torn off for refusing to chant ‘Jai Shri Ram’ in Unnao, 60 km from capital Lucknow.
Following a complaint by madarsa principal Maulana Nisar Ahmad Misbahi, the district police have booked four persons at Sadar Kotwali and arrested 2 of them.
The incident took place on Thursday afternoon when all minor students of Madarsa Darul Uloom Faiz-e-Aam had gone to the Government Inter College (GIC) grounds to play cricket.
According to the complaint, some miscreants arrived there on a motorcycle and became abusive, forcing them to chant ‘Jai Shri Ram’. When they refused to do so, they started beating them up with their cricket bat, torn their clothes and damaged their bicycle. The students somehow managed to rush back to their madarsa and informed the principal who in turn lodged a formal complaint with the police.
Maulana Misbahi said playing cricket at the GIC grounds was part of the students’ normal routine but it was the first time that they were assaulted in such a manner.
Confirming the incident, Unnao Superintendent of Police Madhawa Prasad Verma said that an FIR had already been registered and a culprit had been arrested. The case has been lodged under IPC Sections 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 352 (assault or criminal force otherwise than on grave provocation), 504 (intentional insult with intent to breach of peace) and 506 (criminal intimidation).
However, regarding the students being assaulted after they refused to chant ‘Jai Shri Ram” SP Unnao said that this would be confirmed only after a probe.
The police claim to have identified the three remaining accused by tracing their Facebook accounts. The accused have supposedly identified themselves as Bajrang Dal members in their social media accounts.
Their detention led to protests by pro-Hindu groups at the Kotwali police station. On Friday morning, BJYM, VHP and Bajrang Dal workers gheraoed the police station, demanded that the two be released, and called for a fair and impartial probe into the incident. The VHP later submitted a memorandum to the Verma, saying “no innocent should be punished”.