Clashes at college after Kashmiri students cheer for Pakistan cricket team, 12 injured

Chandigarh: At least 12 persons were injured in a clash between a group of students in the hostel of a private engineering college in Mohali district after some students from Jammu and Kashmir cheered for the Pakistani team while watching a cricket match, police said on Thursday.

Lalru Station House Officer (SHO), Atul Soni said the incident took place on Tuesday night when about 15 students were watching the one-day international (ODI) match between Pakistan and Sri Lanka on television in the hostel common room of Swami Parmanand College of Engineering & Technology college in Jaulan Kalan village near Lalru.

Eight students hailing from Jammu and Kashmir cheered for the Pakistan team and others objected, leading to an altercation between them. The scuffle turned violent as the students attacked each other using stones and sticks, the SHO said, adding that the students also vandalised hostel and college property.

The injured students were rushed to a local hospital and later discharged. None of them was seriously injured in the clash.

Meanwhile, the college authorities have closed the institution till September 8.

On Wednesday, around 30 students from the institute joined BJP leaders from Lalru and blocked the Chandigarh-Ambala highway for about an hour, demanding action against the eight students for cheering for Pakistani cricket team.

The SHO said that BJP Samvad cell leader Dhami Sharma and 30 other unidentified protesters have been booked under various sections of the IPC and the National Highway Act.

Further investigation is on in the matter, Soni said.