ABVP and SFI clash on Savitribai Phule Pune University campus, say 5 students injured

Senior Inspector Balaji Pandhare, in-charge of the Chatushrungi police station said, “There are two First Information Reports filed by both sides against each other. In both the cases we have invoked Indian Penal Code sections pertaining rioting, unlawful assembly and voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means. Seven members of ABVP have been booked and five persons SFI have been booked in the cross complaint. One person from each side has been injured.” Officials said that no arrests have been made in the case.

Inspector (Crime) Ankush Chintaman of Chatushrungi police station said, “Primary investigation suggests that the SFI had undertaken a membership drive when the members of the two organisations had some argument which led to the clashes.”

The SFI unit of the university began its membership drive on Wednesday morning near the Aniket canteen on campus. Around noon, some ABVP representatives turned up and a heated verbal exchange escalated into a physical fight between the two groups.

ABVP claimed in a later press release that SFI did not have any permissions and were forcing people to become members of their unit. However, an official from the Security Office of the university confirmed that SFI had the required permissions to conduct their drive.

Shubhankar Bachal, central committee member of the ABVP, told The Indian Express, “After a meeting of ABVP with the VC, some of us went to the Refectory area to eat and SFI was conducting its membership drive closeby. A student came and told us that SFI members were forcing students to pay and become members of their unit. They were making it a compulsion for students. When our representatives went to ask SFI members what was going on, they started abusing and beating us.”

SFI members refuted the allegations. SFI State President Somnath Nirmal, one of those injured said, “We had notified the office of the pro VC a day prior and had the necessary permissions. Around noon, ABVP members began asking us to show them what permission we had and the verbal exchange barely lasted when several ABVP members surrounded and attacked us. Five of our members have been injured.”

The assistant security officer of SPPU said, “We reported the matter to the police as soon as we were informed about the clashes between two student groups. They are currently at the police station and action will be taken accordingly.”

Both groups had gathered at the Chaturshringi Police Station to file complaints against each other.

With inputs from Sushant Kulkarni