Kashmiri students undergoing a training programme in Raipur area of Chhattisgarh on Thursday alleged they were attacked by fellow students from Maharashtra and some locals, injuring at least four of them.
Around 34 students from Kashmir who are undergoing training under the government’s Himayat project at Disha Institute of Management and Technology said they were first attacked late Wednesday evening at the canteen of the institute.
“At around 8:30 pm we went to the college canteen to have dinner. Few students from Maharashtra attacked a Kashmiri student after he mistakenly took a plate from the table meant for the former. We intervened but they attacked us and chased us away to our hostel rooms,” said Manzoor Ahmad Mir, a student who is a resident of Dachigam area of Bandipora in north Kashmir.
He said the Maharashtra students along with some locals later ransacked their belongings in their hostel rooms.
“They smashed the window panes with iron rods and hurled stones at us, resulting in injuries to four Kashmiri students,” said another student.
The injured students were identified as Zahid Wani from Nadihal, Mohsin and Naveed both from Pazalpora and Faisal from Putushai Bandipora.
The students said that the attackers ransacked their wardrobes, broke lockers and also threatened them with dire consequences if they stayed in the college.
They also alleged the local police didn’t cooperate with them when they were informed about the incident.
All the 34 students undergoing training at the institute hail from north Kashmir’s Bandipora district.
Sonu Singh, operations head of Disha Institute of Management and Technology, said there was some “minor scuffle” between the students of two states on Wednsday night and it was sorted out.
“College management had deployed security guards for the safety of students and the issue was also sorted out yesterday (Wednesday) only,” he said.
Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner Bandipora, Dr Shahid Iqbal Choudhary said the matter regarding the alleged assault on Kashmiri students was taken up with authorities in Chhattisgarh.