Srinagar, Oct 19: Notwithstanding the repeated assurances of authorities that the Identity cards and roll number slips of students would be treated as curfew passes and given safe passage, police on Tuesday thrashed a group of students of Sri Pratap College near Narbal on city outskirts.
The students were on way to college from Magam when policemen guarding a barricaded road near Narbal Chowk, allegedly bought them down from a vehicle and thrashed them for “violating curfew.”
“We showed them our college I-cards and university roll number slips, but they didn’t honour it. Instead they started abusing and beating us,” said Muhammad Younis, a student of B.Sc Part II. He said they had to appear in the botany paper of the BSc part I bi-annual examination at the College.
“We kept pleading them to let us go, but they only did after beating and showering abuses not only on us, but the college and university officials as well,” said another student Ajaz Ahmad Dar.
The students finally made it to the college after going through much ordeal. “We fear for our next papers which happen to coincide with strike days and Chalo calls,” said Ajaz.
“It would be much better if university recasts the examination schedule.”
The students, especially school goers, off-late have been at the receiving end of both the forces and the protesters in the wake of government order that schools and colleges shall remain open despite curfew and strikes.
Several students have been injured in the stone pelting incidents on the school buses while many have been thrashed by forces for violating curfew.
On September, 29, a school boy, Abid Mushtaq, class 9th student of Extol Bhawan School Awantibavan, Soura, lost his eye to a CRPF slingshot when he came out to see if his school bus had reached the pickup place.
Last week, a school cab driver was critically injured when he was beaten up by CRPF troopers at Noor Bagh here.

Lastupdate on : Tue, 19 Oct 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Tue, 19 Oct 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Wed, 20 Oct 2010 00:00:00 IST