Cops suspended for beating up two north-east students

Two Delhi Police sub-inspectors have been suspended for allegedly beating up two Delhi University students near  Satyawati College on Wednesday.

“Sub-Inspectors Laxmichand and Puneet of Bharat Nagar police station have been placed under suspension after acting on the complaint given by the students. Any further action would be taken only after the initial probe is over,” said N Gnana Sambandan, Deputy Commissioner of Police (north-west).

The students belong to North-East Forum for International Solidarity, which spearheaded campaign against introduction of Hindi or a Modern Indian Language in the compulsory foundation course in DU’s new four-year undergraduate programme.

It is alleged that the students were on their way to Satyawati College in north-west Delhi’s Ashok Vihar to speak to other students about the problems faced by students under FYUP and general problems faced by youths from north-east in the city.

“As they alighted from a Delhi Transport Corporation bus and were speaking with a ticket checker, the two sub-inspectors intervened and started intimidating the students,” Thanglunmang Khongsai of NEFIS said.

Since the students argued with the police officers, the two sub-inspectors allegedly decided to pick them up and take them to the police station.

At Bharat Nagar police station, the two SIs allegedly thrashed the students.

“Shockingly, the two students were only released once the policemen had forcibly made them sign on a statement saying ‘they were not assaulted by police, but by another party’,” Thanglunmang added.

On being released, the two students spoke to other NEFIS members and they were taken to Hindu Rao Hospital for an MLC.

NEFIS said they will produce the MLC in a court and Deputy Commissioner of Police (north-west).

“As the student-activists had in no way contributed to an adverse law-and-order situation, it is unprecedented for the policemen to react in such a way,” Thanglunmang said.

Angered by the incident, NEFIS has decided to approach other students and youth organisations and north-east groups, and to file a formal complaint with the National Human Rights Commission.