Students of Bengal Engg College lathicharged for asking for results quicker

A video showing the brutal lathicharge on students, at a college in Malda, by police and security guards has been making the rounds on social media since Thursday. The video shows students being beaten up by college security guards and the police at Ghani Khan Choudhury Institute of Engineering and Technology (GKCIET) in Malda, West Bengal.

On November 15, the students of the college completed their diploma exam. According to some students, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, they had asked the administration about the publication of results and demanded a quicker process. The administrative authorities did not respond to their queries but instead misbehaved with some students, they allege.

The students finished their diploma exam and they went to enquire when the results would be out, and as per the modular pattern when will the admissions to B tech courses will begin. A significant number of students come from outside so they went to enquire as they would like to go home before the processes start. The assistant registrar was present at the college but didn't respond, they wrote a letter and asked him to acknowledge it, but he didn't and allegedly asked the security guards to push them out of the campus. One student got hurt during the hassle, then others came out to help him, the police also came into the picture at that time and began lathicharge

Shain Zahedi, President, GKCIET Students Unity

"Several students were injured, some also have broken wrists and legs. 15 students were injured and hospitalised after the incident, the police detained six students at the station for five hours and released them only when they signed an affidavit saying that they won't ever question the authorities or cause a ruckus again," explains Shain Zahedi, President, GKCIET Students Unity, a student body at the institute.

The college was established in 2010, directly under the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India. The institute has a six-year course in engineering – two years each of a certificate course (equivalent to Class 12), a diploma course and the last two years, a BTech course.  

He adds that the students have been continuing their protests since then. "We tried going to the Old Malda and English Bazaar police stations but the authorities didn't file an FIR, so we lodged a complaint with the Malda SP Arnab Ghosh. Following that, the SP, DSP met with us and assured that they will investigate the matter, but there's been no such investigation yet," says Shain.

On November 19, the students protested on Malda NH34 and blocked the roads. "Police authorities told us that we would sit for a meeting with the students and their family, administration and the police on November 23, but we haven't received any notification about the meeting yet. We have plans to wait here and keep on protesting till justice is served," concludes Shain.

We tried contacting the college authorities but they refused to comment on the incident.