Scores of students and policemen were injured in a clash in north Kashmir’s Ganderbal district on Wednesday.
Trouble began with a tiff between students of the Government Degree College, Ganderbal, and policemen in the morning. “An overloaded passenger bus, in which some college students were also travelling, was slapped with challan by policemen for violating traffic rules, in Kheer Bawani. The college students objected and argued with the policemen,” Senior Superintendent of Police, Ganderbal, Imtiaz Ismail Parray, said.
Locals accused the police of highhanded behaviour with the bus driver and the students. The situation turned ugly when the students closed the college gates and blocked the main road around 10.30 a.m. They accused the police of using “disproportionate force.”
“The police dispersed the crowd and the students went back to their college and damaged college property,” said Mr. Parray.
Policemen injuredA dozen policemen, including Station House Officer, are said to have suffered minor injuries.
“Resorting to baton charge and using teargas canisters against students is not acceptable in a civilised society. Dozens of students, including girls, were injured,” alleged Islamic Jamiat-e-Tulba, a students’ body.
Wednesday’s incident is the second in the State in the past two months. On April 12, students clashed with the police on the campus of the National Institute of Technology and 60 students were injured.
