High Court order on NIT students’ security today

Tribune News Service

Jammu, April 28

A Division Bench of Jammu and Kashmir High Court today reserved its order for Friday regarding a public interest litigation (PIL), demanding safety and security of the non-local students of the National Institute of Technology, Srinagar, who were “brutally” lathicharged by the J&K Police on April 5.

The PIL was filed by Jammu for India convener and former BJP leader Hari Om, seeking deployment of paramilitary forces on the NIT campus to ensure the safety of students.

“The Bench has posted the matter for tomorrow for issuing its order on the PIL,” said lawyer BS Slathia, who appeared for Hari Om.

“We have submitted before the court that as per Section 3 of the state Constitution, Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India. So like other parts of the country hoisting the Tricolour is not an offence in J&K,” Slathia said, adding that in the PIL it had mentioned that the J&K Police had inflicted atrocities on non-local students who had hoisted the national flag on the campus.

“We have also submitted before the court that the deployment of central forces is a must to inculcate a sense of security among non-local students because they have lost faith in the J&K Police after the brutal lathicharge,” said Slathia while mentioning that the PIL also demanded that a fresh inquiry should be conducted by an independent central investigating agency into the matter.

“The petition is being filed keeping in view the interest of the public at large and the legitimate interests of the non-local students of the NIT Srinagar who are bona fide Indian nationals,” the PIL stated.

“To leave them in the lurch or to the care of certain vested interests in and outside the UGC/HRD Ministry-run and managed institute would be the negation of justice and India is a welfare state,” the PIL added.