Police book ABVP members after protest at Mumbai University Fort campus
The Mumbai Police registered a complaint against members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) following a protest outside the Vice-Chancellor's office at the University of Mumbai's Fort campus late on Wednesday night. The student group was protesting against the university's delay in initiating a Crime Investigation Department (CID) probe into an alleged T Y BCom final semester paper leak.
According to the ABVP, a delegation of student leaders had gone to meet the Vice-Chancellor to question why the university's management council had not acted on directions from the Maharashtra government to hand the case over to the CID.
The students claimed they were denied a meeting with the Vice-Chancellor, which led them to continue their demonstration outside his office into the night.
As the protest persisted, the university administration contacted the police. Officers arrived at the Fort campus and evicted the protesting students.
The police subsequently registered a complaint against the protesters under Sections 189(2), 115(2), and 223 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The charges include unlawful assembly, causing simple hurt, and disobeying the lawful orders of a public servant.
The dispute stems from a June 26 statement made by the Maharashtra government in the legislative council, which directed that the alleged T Y BCom paper leak should be investigated by the CID.
However, the university's management council chose to wait for the reports of two internal inquiry committees and the ongoing police investigation before officially handing the case over to the CID.
During the demonstration, ABVP members raised slogans demanding a fair and transparent investigation and questioned the delay in implementing the state government's directives.
Following the police action, ABVP Mumbai metropolitan secretary Prashant Mali criticized the university's response. He stated that the Vice-Chancellor did not meet with the delegation and instead called the police rather than answering the students' questions. Mali added that the group would continue its fight until the students get justice and those responsible for the paper leak are punished.
The University of Mumbai has not released an official statement regarding the protest or the police complaint. University officials indicated that the matter would be discussed during the next management council meeting.
