Ex-ABVP men held for 145;attacking146; Ujjain college principal

Two former office-bearers of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad were arrested on Thursday for beating up an Ujjain college principal...

Two former office-bearers of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad ABVP were arrested on Thursday for beating up an Ujjain college principal when he refused to let them have their way.

Bhanu Bhadoria and Vikas Khatri, who the ABVP claimed were no longer associated with the organisation, allegedly ransacked principal Ashish Mehta8217;s room and roughed him up because he stopped a group of students from cheating in examination.

Mehta, in a complaint with the Neelganga Police Station, said that Bhadoria and Khatri barged into his office on Wednesday, abused him and threatened him that he too will meet the same fate as Prof H S Sabharwal who was beaten to death outside Ujjain8217;s Madhav College in August 2006.

Incidentally, the Ujjain police had questioned Bhadoria in connection with the murder of Prof Sabharwal, whose death had rocked the nation. Six ABVP activists, accused of Prof Sabharwal8217;s murder, are still behind bars.

The trial has been suspended by the Supreme Court, which is hearing a petition filed by the slain professor8217;s son Himanshu seeking transfer of the case outside Madhya Pradesh.

A week ago, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan met Vimal Tomar, one of the main accused in the case, in Indore8217;s M Y Hospital where he was admitted with complaint of chest pain. A few more incidents of hooliganism involving ABVP activists have been reported in the last couple of years.

On Thursday, the ABVP staged a dharna in front of the private college, demanding an apology from Mehta for dragging the students8217; body into the mess. They claimed that Bhadoria and Khatri were no longer with the ABVP and yet Mehta named the organisation in his complaint.

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Following the protest, Mehta complained of uneasiness and was hospitalised in the afternoon. His condition is reported to be stable.

Education minister Laxman Singh Gaud said he has ordered an inquiry into the incident.