DU Students Claim Attack By ABVP Members During Protest For GN Saibaba's Release

Students further alleged that the ABVP members then gheraoed the hospital where they were taken for treatment.

A few Delhi University students were allegedly attacked by members of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), while they were campaigning for the release of former DU professor GN Saibaba.

(Photo: Accessed by The Quint)

Around five students of Delhi University were seriously injured after they were allegedly attacked by over 50 Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) members during a protest demanding the release of former DU professor GN Saibaba.

What's new? Two FIRs have been filed against members of both groups who were involved, Sagar Singh Kalsi, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), North, told The Quint.

What happened?

• Students involved with Campaign Against State Repression (CASR) – a platform with 35 organisations – were campaigning on the campus when they were purportedly attacked with stones at first, and then with lathis, according to students The Quint spoke with.

• At least one student was "hit with a brick on her head", Rajveer Kaur, a PhD student at Delhi University, added.

• The injured students were taken to Hindu Rao Hospital for treatment.

Rajveer further alleged that the ABVP members then gheraoed the hospital – and threatened to beat up the injured students again.

She also told The Quint that the students who were campaigning also involved members of Bhagat Singh Chhatra Ekta Manch, a student organisation at DU.

Akshit Dahiya from the ABVP, however, told The Quint that the "ruckus" was created by students/outsiders from Left organisations, and that ABVP has filed a complaint with the Maurice Nagar Police Station.

A Timeline of Events

"At around 3.30-4 pm, a brawl broke out near Patel Chest area between two groups of around 10 students belonging to the ABVP and the Bhagat Singh Chhatra Ekta Manch over some issue," said Sagar Singh Kalsi, DCP, North. He further added that "all the gathering at Hindu Rao Hospital has dispersed except the injured and five to seven people accompanying them."

The DCP said they have received seven Medico-Legal Cases (MLC) – five from the Left group and two from ABVP.

On 14 October, the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court held the entire trial against former Delhi University professor GN Saibaba in an alleged Maoist link case to be "null and void".

A day after his acquittal, the Supreme Court suspended the Bombay High Court judgment and ordered stay on his release from jail.