Despite assurances by the state administration that government forces will not resort to an excesses, students and faculty members at Kashmir Government Polytechnic (KGP) College were allegedly beaten forcing students to stage protests.

 The students from various polytechnic colleges had come to appear in their exams of ongoing 1st semester at KGP College, designated as their exam centre here.

The students said they were beaten by CRPF personnel for holding peaceful protests inside the College premises against the recent civilian killings and use of force against students for the last two weeks.

 “We staged a peaceful protest inside the College premises but CRPF personnel barged inside the campus and thrashed the students and faculty members,” a group of students said.

Interestingly, a camp Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) battalion is situated in the vicinity of the KGP College in Gogji Bagh.

The students said the CRPF personnel resorted to tear gas shelling on protesting students. “They (CRPF) used tear gas shelling on protesting students and beat them for staging protests,” they said.

Meanwhile the faculty members said the CRPF personnel barged inside the college premises thrashed their colleagues who sustained injuries. They identified the injured faculty member as Yameen who is Head of the Automobile Engineering Department.

“They (CRPF) used force on students and resorted to tear gas shelling and pellets inside the premises. They also ransacked all the vehicles of the faculty members which were parked inside the college premises,” they said

The faculty members said Raj Bagh Police station was informed about the incident who later visited the campus. “After situation went out of control we informed the Raj Bagh Police station and policemen from the station reached here,” the faculty members said.

A senior police official said the students resorted to stone pelting on a CRPF bunker erected outside the College campus. “The students from various polytechnic colleges after finishing their exams hurled stones at a CRPF bunker which provoked the latter and resulted in clashes,” a senior police official said.

He said the faculty member who sustained injuries during the clashes was shifted to a hospital for first aid treatment and was later discharged. “The situation was under control in the college premises,” he said.

Meanwhile, sources said the CRPF personnel stationed in the vicinity of the KGP College have registered a complaint against one of the faculty members of the Polytechnic College  Gogji Bagh stating that the faculty members was provoking students for stone pelting. “It is yet to be seen whether Police will act on the application or not,” sources said.

Public Relation Officer (PRO) CRPF however ruled out any role of CRPF BN stationed near Gogji Bagh Polytechnic College.

 “They are not there to control law and order situation, it is their company location. They have nothing to do with law and order situation,” he said.

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