Families of 7 arrested students seek leniency

Srinagar, November 29

Families of the seven agricultural university students arrested under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) for allegedly raising objectionable slogans after the Indian cricket team’s loss in the World Cup final on Wednesday appealed to the police and Jammu and Kashmir administration for leniency as their career was at stake.

Students should get another chance, PDP president Mehbooba Mufti also said amid separate rows over the arrest of the seven undergraduates of Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (SKUAST), Kashmir, and the derogatory social media post by a student of the National Institute of Technology (NIT) that had sparked protests.

The families of the seven students at Shuhuma in Ganderbal district of central Kashmir met senior police officials of Ganderbal police and sought leniency for them.

“I am speaking on behalf of all seven families from Anantnag, Kulgam, Baramulla, Kupwara and Bandipora that it was an unfortunate, uncalled for and unwarranted incident. We all condemn it. It should not have happened,” advocate Mohammad Shafi told reporters.

He said the families appealed to the J&K administration and the police to show leniency in the FIR lodged against the students.

“The families met the Ganderbal police. We told the police that the students were intelligent and had qualified NEET examination and were undergoing BVSc degrees. All students belong to poor families. Their career is at stake, which needs to be saved. We are grateful to the Ganderbal police for a positive response. They have also assured us that whatever help under the legal ambit is needed, will be provided to at least save their career,” Shafi said.

He appealed to the students on the campus to focus on their studies and career.

The students have been arrested under the anti-terror law. After political parties criticised it, the police defended its action and said they were booked under a “softer” provision.

The police have also filed a case for promoting religious enmity between communities against the NIT student in the other incident.

Yesterday, leading a protest against the BJP in Jammu, senior CPM leader MY Tarigami had questioned the arrest of university students under the UAPA.

“It is wrong. They should not have been slapped with the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in the first place as we are a democratic country… Sports should not be politicised,” Tarigami, who is also the president of CITU, had said.

PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti had termed the incident as “shocking”. She had also requested Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to look into the issue.