Two students from Kerala, Aswanth I T and Sudhin K, enrolled at Zakir Husain Delhi College and originally from Birbhum district, claim they were violently assaulted by a group of locals and police personnel in Delhi on Thursday evening. The incident reportedly began around 7 PM when a man approached the students offering to sell a mobile phone and a watch.
After they declined, he returned with six others, accusing them of theft and launching a physical attack. Later, the police intervened amid the heated the situation. The students say their limited fluency in Hindi and attempt to explain the situation in English further aggravated the police, as per a report on Manorama. One student was allegedly kicked in the face and beaten with a fibre baton. Both were released only after intervention by senior students and have since sought medical care.
Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas Condemns Attack
Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas has formally condemned the incident filing complaints with the Delhi Police Commissioner and the National Human Rights Commission. He alleged that police officers colluded with the attackers, allowing locals to continue the assault inside police premises, seising the students’ mobile phones and footwear, and coercing false confessions.
Brittas described the episode as “a disturbing mix of cultural prejudice and unconstitutional coercion,” highlighting the violation of India’s linguistic and cultural diversity, reported India Today. He demanded strict action against the perpetrators, immediate recovery of the students’ belongings, and standing instructions to Delhi police to respect cultural sensitivities and constitutional protections.
The Delhi Police has not yet released an official statement regarding the matter. Meanwhile, calls for an independent inquiry into the assault are mounting, as student groups and civil rights organizations emphasize the need for accountability and safeguarding the rights of linguistic and cultural minorities.
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