Kashmiri Girl Held in Pune For Trying to Snatch Cop's Revolver

Pune: A-21-year-old Kashmiri student of a college here was arrested on Sunday, along with her male friend, for allegedly trying to snatch revolver of a police officer in Bharti Vidyapeeth area, police said today.

However, the girl, identified as Farah Sheikh, has alleged that the police attacked her and her 23-year-old friend after she questioned their "high handed" behaviour towards him.

Sheikh is a third year student of BBA at Sarhad College here.

A senior police officer today said that an enquiry has been initiated into the claim made by Sheikh.

As per the FIR registered by Sahkar Nagar police, the incident occurred on intervening night of April 8 and April 9.

According to police, Sheikh and her friend Shaurya Dandriyal were arrested for allegedly misbehaving with a patrolling team of police personnel in the Vidyapeeth area after they were asked not to loiter till late night.

Police said that Sheikh slapped a woman police officer and tried to snatch her revolver.

Sheikh and Dandriyal were booked under sections 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of IPC.

They were produced in a court on Sunday, which granted them bail on the same day.

When contacted today, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone II) Pankaj Dahane said that police are looking into the allegations levelled by the girl.

"An enquiry has been initiated and we are reviewing both the versions," he said.

Sheikh, who hails from Valley and presently staying in a private hostel in Bharati Vidyapeeth area, told PTI today that she had gone to Sahkar Nagar near her hostel to hand over the project work to Dandriyal.

"On that night, when I came down from my private hostel in Bharati Vidyapeeth area at around 12 midnight to hand over the project work to my friend Shaurya, I saw two policemen on bike talking harshly to him."

"When I intervened and tried to seek explanation from them, they asked us to go home and do not roam till late night. They later started behaving disrespectfully with us and used aggression against us, which prompted me to shoot their video using my mobile phone," Sheikh claimed.

She said that few more police personnel, including a woman officer, came to the spot and tried to snatch her mobile phone handset.

"They started beating us and took us to police station, where they again beat us up," she claimed, adding that the police didn't allow them to call up their families.

"Despite repeated requests, the police personnel did not allow us to call our families and forcibly snatched my phone. They deleted all videos which I had shot," she said.

Sheikh alleged that the police "lied" to her college authorities by telling them that she was drunk and abusive.

She met Pune city Police Commissioner Rashmi Shukla yesterday and apprised her about the incident.

"On Wednesday, I met the police commissioner and put forth my side of the story as I was feeling that injustice was meted out to me. I am happy that she assured me that she would order an inquiry into the incident," Sheikh said.

When contacted, Sanjay Nahar, the founder president of Sarhad Organisation which runs the college, said Sheikh was very hardworking.

"She stayed in Sarhad's hostel till 2014. However, she moved out after she started working, and put up in a private hostel," he said.

Sheikh, however, is all praise for Pune which attracts students from all parts of the country and even from abroad.

"My overall experience with Pune is very good and the city has given me a lot. While studying here in Sarhad, I have taken a part-time job to meet my expenses. However, the incident has left me shocked and I feel that my career can be in jeopardy," she said.

Nahar added: "Sarhad is home for scores of Kashmiri students and police should take utmost care while handling such situation and they should handle such situation with great sensitivity as wrong message should not go outside the state.