E-Paper
Madrasa toughs vandalise shops, beat up owners
A GROUP of rowdy students from Irfania Madrasa went on the rampage beating shopkeepers and vandalising over half-a-dozen shops at Akbari Gate market in Chowk on Friday noon. A dispute over payment for a phone call at a PCO led to the clash. Two of the shop owners suffered injuries, too.
A GROUP of rowdy students from Irfania Madrasa went on the rampage beating shopkeepers and vandalising over half-a-dozen shops at Akbari Gate market in Chowk on Friday noon.
A dispute over payment for a phone call at a PCO led to the clash. Two of the shop owners suffered injuries, too.
Policemen remained a mute spectator to the entire happening in the busy area which resulted in hampering of business and throwing traffic out of gear for over an hour.
Senior officials later rushed to the spot and used a mild force to disperse the mob. Those shopkeepers, who were attacked, did not lodge an FIR but the cops took four roughnecks into custody. Around 11.30 am a group of four teenagers from the madrasa reached Mohsin PCO at Akbari Gate market. The students dialed a few numbers. They were about to leave when shopowner Tahir asked to pay the bill as shown in the machine.
The students engaged in a heated exchange with Tahir claiming that none of the phone numbers they had dialed could be connected.
But, the PCO owner insisted that the machine showed that they had used the services. And, Tahir said he would not allow them (the students) to move away till they paid the bill.
This irked the students enraged and they pounced upon the shop owner. While they were beating him brutally other students from the madarsa too joined them in the melee. The rowdy group ransacked the PCO, damaging furniture and the machines.
Seeing students engaged in the fracas, other shopkeepers in the market ran to Tahir’s rescue. But, the mob of students overpowered the traders and targeted all those who tried to pacify them. The teenagers ransacked half-a-dozen other shops, including those owned by Aqueel, Rashid and Ehsan. These victims were beaten up when they tried to prevent students vandalising the shops.
While the incensed mob of students was engaged in the brawl, a sub-inspector (S-I) and two constables deputed at the Akbari Gate crossing remained a mute spectator to the unruly scene. It was an hour later only when CO Chowk Rajesh Sahni rushed to the scene accompanied by PAC personnel and forced the group of teenagers to flee the scene. Four of them, who refused to relent even in the presence of police force, were taken into custody.
