19 students held for Shimla clash

Bhanu P Lohumi

Tribune News Service

Shimla, March 25

The Shimla police today arrested 14 students in connection with a clash between ABVP and SFI students following a dispute over conducting RSS shakhas at Potters Hill ground near Himachal Pradesh University yesterday.

Of the 14 students, nine are from the SFI while four from the ABVP, DSP, Headquarters, Pramod Shukla said, adding that the 19 students, who were detained from hostel, were released on bail.

The arrested students included Vikram Kaith, Vikram Bagga, Saurabh Kaundal, Gaurav Sharma, Ravinder Kumar, Deepak Kumar, Vivek Raj, Ishan Mehta and Hemraj from the SFI and Ashwani, Ankit, Nishant, Manish and Vikrant from the ABVP. They were booked under Sections of 147, 148, 149, 341, 323, 506, 452 of the IPC and Section 3 of the PDP Act.

Meanwhile, a scuffle took place at Boileauganj today in which five students were injured. Both student organisations blamed each other for the clash. ABVP district president Gaurav Attri said one of the students, who was on the way to the IGMC to see the injured students, was attacked by SFI members. SFI HPU campus general secretary Jeevan stated that the ABVP attacked SFI members who were detained and released from the Boileauganj police station.

The ABVP gheraoed the Vice-Chancellor and called for the suspension of the SFI students. The SFI lodged their protest on the HPU campus and demanded the arrest of 12 ABVP activists, who were involved in the clash.

HP University Vice-Chancellor Sikander Kumar constituted a fact-finding committee of six members to inquire into the clashes which took place at Potters Hill and university hostels.

The committee, headed by Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Prof Rajinder Singh Chauhan, comprising of Chief Security Officer, Registrar, Dean Students’ Welfare, Dean Planning & Teachers Matters and Chief Warden, will submit its report within three days.

The VC also appealed to all student organisations to maintain peace on the campus and warned that stringent action would be taken against anti-social elements. He also directed the wardens of all hostels to take strict action against violence.

The NSUI has demanded a ban on the RSS shakha in the vicinity of the university. In a statement here, NSUI unit president Vinu Mehta said ABVP activists were threatening the students and the university authorities had adopted double standards in dealing with the clash.

Scuffle in Boileauganj

• A scuffle took place at Boileauganj today in which five students were injured

• Both student organisations blamed each other for the clash

• ABVP district president Gaurav Attri said one of the students, who was on the way to the IGMC to see the injured students, was attacked by SFI members

• SFI HPU campus general secretary Jeevan stated that the ABVP attacked SFI members who were detained and released from the Boileauganj police station