Police quizzing detained students

Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Apr 25: After violence in city centre, police are quizzing students who were detained yesterday during stone-throwing clashes to probe whether the protests were spontaneous or were instigated by ‘outsiders’ here in premier Government educational institutes.
Sources said police detained around a dozen persons, 10 of them students, during clashes in city’s commercial hub yesterday. They said that although none of them have been booked by the police formally but they are being questioned to find out how protests erupted in Sri Pratap Higher Secondary School and Sri Pratap College at Maulana Azad Road here.
Sources said a Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been constituted by police and it is being headed by Senior Superintendent of Police Srinagar to probe the student protest. “During questioning, the students were asked whether they came out of their classes to protest after receiving any call, text message or some outsider asked them to do so or whether it was spontaneous,” they added.
However, the students have not ‘revealed any outside hand’ into protests so far but they are being questioned. “Police are probing ‘outside’ angle as police have inputs about outsiders masquerading as students entering SP School and instigating these protests,” they added. “The police are also analyzing the video and photo visuals of yesterday’s protests and clashes. No doubt there were outsiders who were pelting stones as well during clashes,” the sources added.
A senior police official said if it is proved that the held students were linked with ‘outside’ elements, they will be formally booked. “Besides students, we have also detained two other youth during clashes. Our effort will be to counsel students so that they desist from pelting stones and disturbing law and order. We are probing all angles,” he said, adding that the investigation is underway.
The city centre Lal Chowk yesterday turned into battleground as students of SP Higher Secondary School, SP College and Women’s College boycotted their classes, took to streets and clashed with police for several hours after holding protests without any call from any outfit. The clashes had left 25 persons including SSP Srinagar injured. The students were apparently angry at recent police action against student community in Pulwama Degree College and elsewhere.
Apprehending trouble, Government has decided to suspend classwork in SP Boys Higher Secondary and Kothi Bagh Girls Higher Secondary schools on April 26 tomorrow. “As a precautionary measure, the classwork in SP School and Kothi Bagh School shall remained suspended tomorrow but work in other colleges and schools will continue as per routine,” Deputy Commissioner Srinagar, Dr Farooq Ahmad Lone, told Excelsior. All the educational institutes were closed today on account of Shab-e-Meraj holiday.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here