Kashmiri students undergoing a training programme in Raipur area of Chhattisgarh on Thursday alleged they were attacked by fellow students from Maharashtra and the locals, resulting in injuries to at least four of them.
34 students from Kashmir who are undergoing training under Himayat project 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 resident of Dachigam area of Bandipora in north Kashmir.
He said the Maharashtra students along with the locals later ransacked their belongings at the 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 informed them about the incident.
All the 34 students undergoing training at the institute hail from north Kashmir’s Bandipora district.
Sonu Singh, Operation head Disha Institute of Management and Technology, said that there was some “minor scuffle” between the students of two states last night and it was sorted out there only.
“College management had deployed security guards for the safety of students and the issue was also sorted out yesterday only,” he said.
