SVS College students attack Thumbay PU College students after writing exam

Mangaluru, Mar 27: In an apparent hate crime, a group of students from Sri Venkataramana Swamy (SVS) College, Bantwal, brutally assaulted the Muslim students of Thumbey Pre University College run by Mohiuddin Educational Trust, Thumbay, when they were returning after writing II PU examination on Thursday afternoon.

Students of Thumbey College identified as Mubeen, Sadaqat, Akbar Siddiq, Sufaid, Nawaf, Munaz and Nishaf, suffered injuries in the unprovoked attack by the SVS College students owing allegiance Sangh Parivar leaders.

Among them the first three students were critically injured and were admitted to a private hospital in BC Road.  Other students underwent treatment at a government hospital in Bantwal as outpatients.

As usually, the second year students of Thumbay PU College, had visited their Examination Centre, i.e., SVS College, on Thursday. After writing the exam Mubeen, Sadaqat and Akbar Siddiq were waiting for bus near the college.

All of a sudden a group of students from SVS College surrounded them and began to assault. The injured students in their complaint filed at Bantwal Town Police Station stated that the assailants pushed them down and assaulted with sticks and pelted stones.

The assailants have been identified as Taranath, Deepak, Chetan, Ashwath, Abhilash, Akash, Pramod and others. After assaulting the trio the assailants targeted another group of Muslim students.

It is said that a recent quarrel between the students of two colleges on board a bus over a trivial issue led to the attack.

A few days ago, while returning from examination, one among the assailants asked one of the victims to hold his bag. The bag accidentally slipped fell on the floor of the bus. This enraged the assailant and he alleged the victim of deliberately dropping the bag.

The issue was brought to the notice of the principals of both the colleges and the students were issued warning. However, on Thursday, the one who had asked the Thumbay PU College student to hold his bags, came along with his associates and attacked helpless students.

Meanwhile, the activists of Campus Front of India (CFI) submitted a memorandum to Bantwal Town Police demanding arrest of the accused within 24 hours.