Stone-pelting students detained, released after counselling

Police today detained scores of students who were indulging in stone pelting to disrupt law and order in Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir, and later handed them over to their parents after counselling.

"A group of students of Government Degree College (Boys) in Khanabal, Anantnag, instead of joining their classes disturbed the peace and forced other students out of the classrooms. Thereafter, they began pelting stones and bricks towards the Dak Bungalow, District Police Office and main road from the college campus," a police spokesman said.

The students also smashed several civilian vehicles plying on the main road, windowpanes of Dak Bungalow and District Police Office buildings, the spokesman said.

Responding to the situation, police tried to chase away the students who attacked the policemen with bricks and stones, injuring several policemen, he said.

"After hectic efforts, the situation was brought under control and the students indulging in violence were detained," he added.

The spokesman said during questioning, it came to light that most of the students were misguided.

"Keeping in view their studies and their career, police called their parents, college principal and faculty members and held a counselling session with them," he said.

During the counselling session, the students were made aware of their responsibilities, character building, studies and future, he said, adding they were briefed about the means to channelise their talent in the best possible way so that they could become productive citizens of the society.

"Subsequently, all the students were released and handed over to their parents. Parents were separately requested to look into the situation at family level and advise their children not to indulge in violence and concentrate on studies," he added.