At least 10 students from Kashmir, studying in two private educational institutions in Punjab, on Monday alleged that they were assaulted, threatened and harassed at their hostel after India lost to Pakistan in a T20 World Cup cricket match. Rooms were ransacked.
One incident took place at Bhai Gurdas Institute of Engineering and Technology on the outskirts of Sangrur city, while the other took place at Rayat Bharath University in Kharar in Mohali district. Acting on the complaint, the police have started an investigation.
Six engineering college victims accused colleagues from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar of barging into their rooms and assaulting them. They said that the hostel staff also did not intervene in their grievances.
One of the students live-streamed the attack on Facebook while he was being attacked with batons.
An aggrieved student told the police, "The local Punjabi students came to our rescue and tried to save us from the attack. The students alleged that they were sitting in their room when the accused entered their room and started beating them to avenge their loss of the match.
In a similar incident, four students were assaulted at Rayat Bharath University. Nasir Khuehami, the national spokesperson of the Jammu and Kashmir Students Union tweeted, "Kashmiri students who were beaten up in Sangrur and Kharar Mohali told me they were saved by locals and other Punjabi students.
Students from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana barged into their rooms, thrashed them and created a ruckus.