4 madrassa students thrashed, 'forced to chant Jai Shri Ram' in UP

Four madrassa students were allegedly thrashed with cricket bats and forced to chant ‘Jai Shri Ram’ during a clash between two groups in Unnao in Uttar Pradesh, according to police.

The students of Dar-ul-Uloom Faiz-e-Aam were playing cricket, when the accused allegedly beat them up with bats and sticks.

“Four children were beaten by some boys while they were playing cricket after they refused to chant ‘Jai Shri Ram’. They also pelted stones at children. On checking the Facebook profile of the boys, we got to know that they’ve links with the Bajrang Dal people,” Naeem Misbahi, Maulana Jama Masjid, Unnao said.

Unnao SP Madhav Prasad Verma said the incident took place during a cricket match. An FIR had been registered against four persons, he said, adding that two of them had been detained.

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He, however, said in the initial probe it had come out that the madrasa students were not forced to chant “Jai Shri Ram”. “We are probing the matter and situation is under control,” the SP added.

The FIR was registered on the complaint of madrasa operator Nisar Ahmad against four persons under IPC Sections 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 352 (assault or criminal force), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) and 506 (criminal intimidation), he said.

Following the arrest, Hindi Yuva Vahini workers staged a protest outside the police station and demanded release of the arrested youth.

“We want the police officials to release all the persons who have been arrested in connection with this case. They are not involved in this case, in any manner. This was a small incident which has been turned into a huge communal issue now. We have demanded the police to leave all the Hindu suspects by 4 pm today,” a HYV protester said.

The protesters said that they will extend their agitation if the police does not arrest the real culprits and release the accused.

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