By Arif Kudroli, TwoCIrcles.net,
Uppinagady: A clash broke out between two groups of students at a college in Uppinangady Government First Grade College after a boy allegedly belonging to a saffron outfit misbehaved with a girl belonging to Muslim community on Thursday.
Around 10.30 a.m., Ranjith, a student of the Uppinangady First Grade College, pulled the ponytail of Shahida, who was studying in the same college, without any provocation.
She complained to her brother, who was also studying in the same college. Angered by the act, the brother questioned the boy for pulling his sister’s hair.
The incident led to a heated argument between the Hindu group that supported the boy, and the Muslim group that got behind the girl.
Blows were exchanged as members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the student wing of the BJP, and group of students, mostly belonging to Muslim community clashed.
Five students taken into custody
Police who visited the college took five students into custody, three of whom were admitted to hospital.
Condemning this action, other students staged a protest in front of the police station. When the students intensified their protest, police resorted to lathi charge.
Later, circle inspector Suresh Kumar called heads of two communities and held discussion with them. Kemmar Ummar, gram panchayat member Abdul Rahiman, Ibrahim, Salim Nnekkilady, Tanjal Laxminagar, zilla panchayat member Keshava Gowda were part of the meeting.
Mohammed Asif, Mohammed Mustafa, Abdul Rashid, Zubair and Abdul Sattar who were injured in the fight were admitted to a hospital in Puttur.
SP’s visit
Dakshina Kannada SP Abhishek Goyal, additional SP Shivakumar, Puttur assistant commissioner H Prasanna visited the police station and investigated.
The girl student in her complaint to Uppinangady police said that she was harassed by Ranjith.