Assam student assault: MP CM assures action as non-bailable section added

Anuppur (MP), Jan 17: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Saturday assured strict action against those involved in the assault of an Assamese student at Indira Gandhi National Tribal University (IGNTU) in Amarkantak, as police invoked a non-bailable offence in the case.

The incident occurred around 4 pm on Tuesday when Hiros Jyoti Das (22), a postgraduate student from Assam, was allegedly assaulted by five fellow students inside the university hostel. An FIR was registered shortly before midnight on Wednesday based on Das’s complaint.

In a post on X, Yadav said the police had taken due legal action and that the university administration had also acted against the accused. “No one will be spared,” the Chief Minister said.

Anuppur Superintendent of Police Moti-ur-Rehman said the Medical Legal Certificate revealed injuries to Das’s nose and the area below his eyes. Based on the findings, Section 114 (causing grievous hurt) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) was added to the case.

Initially, the accused were booked under Sections 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt), 296 (obscene acts and words), 351(3) (criminal intimidation), and 3(5) (common intention) of the BNS. The addition of Section 114 has made the case non-bailable, carrying a maximum punishment of seven years’ imprisonment, the SP said.

According to the investigation so far, the accused had questioned Das about his place of origin before the assault, though police said no racial remarks were made.

In his complaint, Das alleged that the attack took place while he was returning to his hostel room from the washroom. He named Anurag Pande, Jatin Singh, Rajnish Tripathi, Vishal Yadav, and Utkarsh Singh as the accused.

Earlier, Amarkantak police said the five accused students had either fled or returned to their homes in Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.

The incident comes close on the heels of the death of Anjel Chakma (24), an MBA student from Tripura, who succumbed to injuries after an alleged knife attack at a private university in Dehradun last month, sparking nationwide outrage over student safety.

PTI