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AU transforms into fortress a day after violence; FIRs against 43 guards, 8 students
Student leaders demanded that the AU administration should blacklist the agency responsible for providing security guards to the university.
The situation remained tense at Allahabad University (AU) a day after violence erupted between students and security guards. The entire Arts faculty campus was turned into a fortress by security personnel despite the university authorities having announced a Tuesday closure of the university.
An FIR was lodged against 43 security guards of Allahabad University on the complaint of injured student leader and state general secretary of the Congress party Vivekanand Pathak at the Colonelganj police station while the police also registered an FIR against eight students on the complaint of security guard Prabhakar Singh in connection with the December 19 violence that rocked the central university campus.
SHO of Colonelganj police station Ram Mohan Rai said on Singh’s complaint, an FIR was registered against Vivekananda Pathak, Rahul Patel, Ajay Samrat, Abhishek Yadav, Navneet Singh, Harendra Yadav, Ayush Priyadarshi and Satyam Kushwaha on Tuesday under sections 147 (rioting), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 336 (endangering life or personal safety of others), 427 (mischief causing damage), 435 (mischief by fire or explosive substance with intent to cause damage), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) and 392 (robbery) of the IPC. The security guard claimed that Pathak and other students tried to open the AU gate forcibly and assaulted him while snatching away his mobile. They damaged vehicles at AU and set some of them on fire.
Earlier on Monday night, police registered an FIR against security guards Prabhakar Singh, MK Pandey, Tarachand and 40 of their colleagues under attempt to murder and other sections of the IPC.
A large number of students assembled near student union hall on Tuesday in protest of the Monday incident.
Police and district administration officials held talks with the agitated students on Tuesday. They gave an ultimatum of 48 hours to the police to arrest the security guards who allegedly attacked a student leader.
The student leaders also demanded that the AU administration should blacklist the agency responsible for providing security guards at AU. They said that they were suspending the agitation for now but if their demands are not fulfilled in 48 hours then it will begin again.
Former AU student union president Richa Singh said a high-level inquiry should be initiated into the incident. The AU administration has now resorted to violence to suppress the ongoing demonstration of students for restoration of the student union and withdrawal of fee hike, she said.
