HPU girl students accuse police officials of molestation

Shimla, Aug 3 (UNI) Three Himachal Pradesh University (HPU) Law students today sought registration of an FIR against police officials for assaulting girls students on the HPU campus on Tuesday besides the University's chief warden.

The police officials who roughed up the agitating girl students and University's chief warden A S Guleria, who called the police, should be put under immediate suspension pending enquiry against them, HPU students Banita Sakhlani, Kalpana Kanwar and Ritu Thakur said in a memorandum submitted to State Women Commission Chairperson here.

The students alleged that fifty policemen, led by DSP Bhagat Singh, barged into the Chief Warden's office and started beating and molesting girl students, while they were holding discussion with Mr Guleria over allotment of hostels to about 100 girl students who had been denied admission in the hostels this year.

The students were contesting the University's new rule, according to which a student who had already completed a master's course would not be eligible for hostel accommodation for another master's course.

The students in the memorandum stated that the police action on the students was unprovoked and without warning and in a close room following which several students suffered head injuries.

No magistrate was present on the spot to order use of force on the students, including girls, who were roughed up and molested by the male police officials, they said in their memorandum.

Naming one of the police official, present on the campus, of threatening students with dire consequences, they said that the concerned official even threatened to beat one or two students to death.

The students said the Chief Warden, who was present during the incident, instead of intervening in the matter, remained a mute spectator and did nothing to stop police action on the students.

They said copies of the memorandum have also been submitted to the state DGP, the State Human Rights Commission, HPU Chancellor for further action.

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