At least 54 students, including girls, were injured in clashes that took place between student protesters and security forces outside Degree College in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district on Saturday. Senior police officers also visited the spot to take stock of the situation.
Witnesses told Greater Kashmir that students marched out of the college and staged protests against a check-point that was laid outside the college campus by the Special Operations Guard (SOG) of the Jammu and Kashmir Police and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawans. Students reportedly pelted stones at the security forces due to which they were forced to fire tear gas shells and pellets to disperse the protesters.
Pulwama's Senior Superintendent of Police Rayees Bhat said that students pelted stones on the check-point team thereby triggering clashes between both sides. Medical Superintendent of the District Hospital Pulwama said that more than 50 students were brought to the hospital for treatment.
"Three were referred to Srinagar for specialised treatment. The injured were hit by pellets and teargas shells," the official told Greater Kashmir.
Meanwhile, a pellet victim who was rushed to Shri Maharaja Hari Singh (SMHS) Hospital in Srinagar told Hindustan Times that security forces also barged into the college thereby aggravating the situation. "The clashes were going on outside and we were in the class thinking we are safe. But then the government forces climbed a gate of the college from stadium side and fired pellets," he said.
The number of injured students might increase. "We have so far treated at least 54 persons who were hit by pellets and tear gas shells. Three critically injured persons have been referred to Srinagar. The injured are still coming," Pulwama's Chief Medical Officer Dr Talat Jabeen told HT.
