Mounesh Vishwakarma
Daijiworld Media Network - Bantwal

Bantwal, Mar 26: A group of students who were returning after answering their second PU exam were on Thursday March 26 assaulted by another group of students.

Students identified as Mubeen, Sadaqat, Akbar Siddique, Sufaid, Nawaf, Munaz and Nishaf, all studying in the same college, were assaulted by the group. While Mubeen, Akbar and Sadaqat were later admitted to a private hospital in BC Road, the others underwent treatment at Bantwal government hospital.

Mubeen, Akbar and Sadaqat were waiting at the bus stop near the exam centre, when students Taranath, Deepak, Chetan, Ashwath, Abhilash, Akash, Pramod and others of another college came there and alleged assaulted the trio and others with sticks and by pelting stones. This was stated in the complaint filed in Bantwal town police station.

Following the incident, the members of Campus Front of India (CFI) submitted a memorandum to Bantwal town police demanding arrest of the accused within 24 hours.

It is learnt that old rivalry between the two group of students led to the assault. The two groups had fought few days ago when they were going by bus after exams. It is said that one among them gave his bag to a student of the other group to hold it for him. However, the boy dropped the bag and the others alleged that he had dropped it purposely. The arguments snowballed into a full-fledged quarrel between the groups. The matter reached the principals of the two colleges, and the students were warned and a compromise was reached. However, the students have fought again because of old rivalry, said the police.

Meanwhile, officials of the college to which the assaulted students belong to alleged that the incident took place as there was no adequate police security at the exam centre. Though as per rules, security should be deployed at all second PU exam centres, there were reportedly no police present in the premises in this case.

Responding to the allegation, Bantwal town police inspector Nandakumar said that the police did not receive any information that there was old rivalry between the students. "Our personnel were making rounds of the exam centre and security was deployed. Today''s assault case took place outside the exam centre premises. We have received the complaint and we will nab the accused soon. In the coming days, students appearing for the exams will be given adequate security by deploying reserve police force in the premises," he said.