ABVP leader Ravindra Singh Banta, accompanied by three to four associates, barged into his room, hurled casteist slurs, and launched a violent attack, said the victim
NEW DELHI – Tension gripped Jai Narayan Vyas University’s New Campus in Jodhpur in Rajasthan after a Dalit student was allegedly assaulted inside a hostel room by a group of students led by an Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) leader. Police have registered a case under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
According to reports reaching here on Monday, Kamal Kishore, a final-year B.Sc. student from Jaisalmer, stated in his complaint that the incident occurred late Sunday evening when he chose not to attend a welcome event organised for BJP leader Satish Poonia on the campus. While many students joined the programme, Kishore remained in his hostel room.
Kishore said in his complaint that ABVP leader Ravindra Singh Banta, accompanied by three to four associates, barged into his room, hurled casteist slurs, and launched a violent attack. The student suffered a fractured finger along with severe injuries to his ribs and stomach. He was later admitted to Mathuradas Mathur Hospital and is undergoing treatment for multiple internal and external injuries.
The assault triggered anger among student groups and Dalit organisations in the city. Scores of protestors gathered outside Bhagat Ki Kothi police station on Monday morning, demanding immediate arrest of the accused and action against those shielding them. “This is not just a physical attack, but an attack on dignity and constitutional rights,” media reports quoted a protesting student as saying.
Station Officer Rajeev Bhadu confirmed that an FIR has been lodged against the accused under sections of the SC/ST Act along with charges of assault and criminal intimidation. “We have initiated an investigation, and appropriate action will be taken,” he said.
Meanwhile, university authorities have come under criticism for their silence on the matter. Student leaders have accused the administration of failing to provide a safe environment on the campus, especially for students from marginalised backgrounds.
The incident has once again brought caste-based hostility and the role of student politics on the country’s educational campuses into the spotlight, with rights groups calling for strict enforcement of anti-discrimination laws and accountability from both police and university officials.
