BHU violence: Police slaps notices on 13 students, security guards; tells them to respond in three days

Varanasi Police on Saturday issued notices to 13 students and security guards of the Banaras Hindu University (BHU) in connection with the violence on the university campus on 23 September, according to several media reports. The police, according to a report in  The Indian Express, asked students and security guards to submit their statements within three days and explain if they were active conspirators, rumour mongers or outsiders involved in the violence. [caption id=“attachment_4094559” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Students protesting at BHU on 23 September. PTI[/caption] “We have issued notices to those against whom we have evidence of involvement in the above charges, and to those who we have identified but do not have evidence against. All of them must explain their presence or absence, their role and others’, and all evidence in any form they have from the days of the incidents, ” Senior Superintendent of Police (Varanasi) RK Bhardwaj was quoted as saying by The Indian Express. On 29 September, the crime branch began a probe in the violence and issued a  notice to 20 members of the proctorial board , including the former chief proctor ON Singh, asking them to record their statements. SP (Crime) Gyanendra Prasad said the investigation into the violence had begun and they were perusing CCTV footage. He said a cyber team had also been engaged in the case and a dozen mobile numbers that were active near the incident spot, when the alleged eve-teasing took place, had been put under surveillance. The Uttar Pradesh police on 25 September filed an FIR against 1,200 students of the university for arson and other charges in connection with the violence. The UP government removed three additional city magistrates and two policemen in connection with the baton charge on students. Violence broke out on the BHU campus on 23 September after  women students  protested an incident of alleged sexual harassment and rising incidents of eve-teasing. The women took their protests to the vice-chancellor’s office and began chanting slogans. They were also joined by men from other hostels. In the ensuing police action, students and several reporters became victims of a baton charge led by 1,500-strong police force. The police reportedly refused to allow the reporters to enter the BHU trauma centre for emergency aid. With inputs from agencies.