Violence in BHU over protest against eve-teasing incident

Varanasi (UP): The Banaras Hindu University (BHU) campus last night witnessed violence by students who were lathicharged by the police, in an ugly turn of a protest against an alleged eve-teasing incident.

A number of students and policemen were reportedly injured in the clashes, police sources said. In the wake of the violence, the university has announced “holidays” from tomorrow till October 2, advancing it from September 28.

Violence erupted after some students, protesting against the alleged eve-teasing incident, wanted to meet the Vice Chancellor at his residence, according to police and university sources. The security guards of the university stopped them and the police was informed, according to the University sources.

The students then indulged in stone-pelting, they said. Police used lathicharge to control the situation. Senior officials including District Magistrate Yogeshwar Ram Mishra and SP (city) Dinesh Singh reached the campus along with a large posse of police.

Nearly 1500 policemen including PAC personnel have been deployed in and around the campus to maintain law and order in the campus. The BHU students have been protesting near the university’s main gate since Thursday against the rising eve- teasing incidents on the campus.

The trigger was an incident in which a woman student of Arts faculty alleged harassment by three men on a motorcycle inside the campus while she was returning to her hostel. The three men abused her and fled when she resisted their attempts, according to the complainant.