BHU students detained en route PM's residence, released

New Delhi:  The Delhi Police today detained nine students of the Banaras Hindu University who were on their way from Jantar Mantar to the prime minister’s official residence to submit a memorandum.

The students — eight boys and and a girl — were released later. The Chanakyapuri Police said the girl was asked to to leave soon after her detention while the others were let off late in the night. The girl, Mineshi Mishra, however, refused to leave without her friends.

The students had plans to meet HRD minister Prakash Javadekar and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to submit a memorandum. However, they could not get an appointment. Delhi Commission for Women Swati Maliwal tweeted, “Just heard dat BHU girls have been detained at PS Chanakyapuri.

Speaking to Police to immediately release them. DCW team on its way to assist them.(sic)”  On a delay in release of the students, she tweeted, “Really unfortunate that despite requests @DelhiPolice is yet to release the girls. They should be immediately released.” 

The girl student, Mishra, alleged that during the detention period her friends were threatened by police and some of them were “deported out of Delhi”. “We are not going to encounter you. We will just drop you off Delhi, just like Teesta Setalwad,” she said quoting the police in a complaint to the DCP Chanakyapuri Police Station.

“I put on record if it weren’t for the media personnel, the police was fully prepared to manhandle us, just like they did in BHU. My request is not only to take action against your intimidating officers but also ensure safety and liberty of me and my friends,” she said in the complaint.

Two days back, the students staged a demonstration in Jantar Mantar against the lathi charge on girl students who were protesting the molestation of a girl at the BHU campus. They also demanded the resignation of Vice Chancellor Girish Chandra Tripathi.