About a dozen students of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) on Thursday, 23 June, staged a protest on their campus after three students of the university were allegedly thrashed and abused by Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel in the station toilets, reportedly due to their religious identity.
Meanwhile, Station House Officer (SHO) of Aligarh RPF Rajeev Verma said the duty incharge, ASI Prempal Singh, and constable Kuldeep, have been suspended and an inquiry against them is underway. A First Information Report (FIR) has also been registered against the two policemen.
In a video making rounds on social media, a student can be seen showing the injuries suffered by one of the victims.
The student can be heard saying that the policemen used communal abuses against the students and beat them due to what they were wearing.
What Had Happened?
The students had gone to the Aligarh railway station to drop a friend who was to board the Farakka Express. Owing to a crowd outside the train, the students reportedly asked the RPF personnel for assistance.
The railway police however denied assistance and asked the students to come away from the platform.
It has been alleged that when the security personnel found out that the students were from West Bengal, they said that this is not Mamata’s West Bengal but Yogi’s Uttar Pradesh.
AMU student leader Janib Hasan said that the policemen took the students in a place where there were no CCTVs and then beat them.
AMU Proctor Prof M Wasim Ali speaking about the protest said that about a dozen students sat down in front of Bab-e-Syed gate. The univeristy then complained about the matter to the railway authorities, after which the accused ASI and constable were suspended.
The protest was called off after RPF officials gave assurance to AMU Proctor Wasim Ali that action will be taken in the matter.
(With inputs from Mukesh Gupta.)
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)