Custodial torture of students in Bihar provokes protest

Hundreds of students Monday protested and ransacked the office of Veer Kunwar Singh University in Bihar's Bhojpur district against the torture of two student leaders in police custody, an official said.

Angry over their torture in police custody, students, mostly activists of Chhatra Samagam, the student wing of the ruling Janata Dal-United (JD-U), took to streets, blocked roads, burnt tyres, and ransacked the university office, a district police official said.

"Students, belonging to the JD-U, protested and observed a black day today (Monday) against the assault," a district official said.

According to students, Chhatra Samagam leaders Prince Singh Bajrangi and Kumud Patel were detained and assaulted by police after being stripped.

"The two student leaders were released Sunday following an intervention of Bihar Education Minister Brishen Patel. Both of them had multiple cuts and bruises caused by police assault in the custody," said Ritesh Kumar, a student.

The two student leaders were later admitted to the Patna Medical College and Hospital.

JD-U activists also staged protests here against the incident and threatened to intensify protests across the state if an appropriate action is not taken against those involved.

The district administration has suspended three police officials and ordered a probe into it.

JD-U state president Vashisht Narayan Singh has condemned the incident. "Police have exposed their brutal face because the two student leaders were not criminal," he said.

The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party targeted the state government over the custodial torture against the two leaders.