Students of Kashmir University boycotted classes on Tuesday against the arrest of Peerzada Iqbal, a media student of the Varsity.
Studying Mass Communication and Journalism at the University, Iqbal was arrested on July 18 by police on charges of alleged militant links which his family and friends deny vehemently.
The class work at University’s Media Education Research Centre (MERC) remained suspended for the second day amid demands of his release.
Attempts by the proctor Afzal Zargar to convince students to join classes failed as the latter wanted the varsity to ‘seriously’ take up the issue with police.
“He wanted us to call off the strike, saying that it may take some time,” said a senior student. The students, however, did not change the call.
The media department’s senior faculty and students met Inspector General of Police (IGP), SM Sahai later in the day.
“They met me. I heard them and they heard me,” Sahai told Hindustan Times not revealing why the youth was arrested. A police official privy to the issue said that there were adverse reports against him from the Intelligence Bureau and police was investigating the issue.
Relatives and Family of the youth "feared deliberate attempts by police to frame Iqbal in a militancy case.” They said police were “forcing him to admit about his connections with the militants and that he received a call from Pakistan.”
{{/usCountry}}Relatives and Family of the youth "feared deliberate attempts by police to frame Iqbal in a militancy case.” They said police were “forcing him to admit about his connections with the militants and that he received a call from Pakistan.”
{{/usCountry}}“We have a relative in Pakistan who would periodically call us. But Iqbal has no connections with any militant for sure,” a family member said.
A group of students from MERC department of Kashmir University told media they were “astonished to see anti-India and pro-stone pelting status updates on his Facebook account even when he is in custody of the police”. “This shows that he is being deliberately framed and that false cases are being made up against him,” they alleged.