HAU Registrar, security officer booked for assault on students

The Hisar police today registered a case against eight officials of the Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University (HAU), including Registrar, Chief Security Officer (CSO) and a professor, in the incident of attack on students who were staging a demonstration for restoration of stipend for meritorious students.

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The accused are identified as five security guards, Registrar Pawan Kumar, professor Radheshyam and CSO Sukhbir Singh — under various Sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) including Sections 110, 190, 191(2), 191(3), and 351(3), which are related to assault, unlawful assembly and causing hurt.

According to the FIR lodged by Deepanshu, a B.Sc (Hons) first-year student, their protest began peacefully around 10:30 am yesterday with both male and female students participating in it. However, the situation escalated when security guards identified as Bijender, Anoop, Jagmesh Poonia, Narender and Suman allegedly launched an unprovoked attack on the students.

Several students, including Ankit, Jatin and Mohit, sustained serious injuries. The incident took place when students were staging a sit-in outside the Vice-Chancellor’s office, demanding the restoration of stipend and better hostel facilities.

After a clash at the VC office, the students later gathered at the VC residence late in the night where they were assaulted again, the students alleged. The FIR states that the Registrar, Pawan Kumar, allegedly ordered an assault, which was carried out by Prof Radheshyam, Chief Security Officer Sukhbir Singh and a group of university security guards. Deepanshu claims he was hit on the elbow with a stick by the Registrar and struck on the head by the professor.

The police said that medical examinations conducted at Civil Hospital, Hisar, confirmed multiple blunt injuries on several students. MLRs were issued for Deepanshu, Chakku, Rahul, Nishit, Vam, Mohit and Ankit, substantiating the allegations of physical assault, they said.

The police spokesperson said that legal action would follow after a thorough investigation.

In a joint statement, three former presidents of the students’ union of Chaudhary Charan Haryana Agricultural University (HAU), Hisar — Inderjit Singh, Phool Singh Sheokand and Virender Singh Malik — condemned the lathicharge on students yesterday.

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) termed the use of force on students as “shameful” and urged immediate action against those responsible.

The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) also held a meeting near the university and submitted a memorandum to the District Commissioner. SKM accused the university administration of acting like “goons” and demanded arrest of those involved, the withdrawal of FIRs against students and a rollback of the scholarship policy.

JJP youth wing president Digvijay Chautala also condemned the incident, calling it “a deliberate and shameful attempt to crush students’ aspirations.” He demanded an IG-level inquiry and strict action against guilty officials and guards.