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HomeIndiaChaos at Srinagar airport as families of students returning from Bangladesh lathi-charged

Chaos at Srinagar airport as families of students returning from Bangladesh lathi-charged

Families of the students alleged some students were escorted out of the airport and put under home-quarantine, while others were sent to shabby isolation facilities.

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Srinagar: The Srinagar airport witnessed chaotic scenes after a group of Kashmiri students pursuing studies in Bangladesh returned Thursday.

Soon after the students landed, they were made to wait at the arrival section for more than two hours without specifying any reason, according to the family members of some students.

But the matter escalated after some students were “quietly escorted out” of the airport, while others were told that they would be quarantined despite all the students claiming that they have undergone fever screening through thermal imaging at Kolkata airport.

Their flight reached Srinagar via Kolkata.

The families alleged that the students, who were escorted out, were children of VIPs and were, therefore, home-quarantined, while others were sent to quarantine centres having “inadequate facilities”.

After some students were escorted out of the airport, the families of other students raised the matter and a heated argument ensued with the security forces.

The security personnel present at the spot then used lathi-charge to control the family members.

A video of the commotion and pictures are now being circulated on WhatsApp.


Also read: Next batch of Indians stranded in COVID-19-hit Italy to be evacuated over weekend, says MEA


‘Complete chaos’

More than two dozen students were escorted by local police out of the airport.

The male students were taken to Haj House in Srinagar by bus and seven female students were dropped at a private hotel in the summer capital. Both groups are now under quarantine.

Tehleel Mushtaq, whose sister is pursuing MBBS in Dhaka, told ThePrint the students had requested the authorities at the airport multiple times to let them go as they had already been screened at the Kolkata airport.

“Yet they were kept together at the airport. Some students, probably children of VIPs, were escorted quietly and when the parents objected to this, they were thrashed. Later my sister and other students were escorted without informing the parents where they would be taken. Their phones were taken too but later returned to them. Some parents followed the police vehicle in which the students were being taken and then discovered the locations where they were supposed to be quarantined. It was complete chaos,” said Mushtaq.

His sister sent an audio note to him when she was waiting at the airport. 

“It is a complete mess. They created a separate section for VIPs and they were taken out of the airport. We are told we will be quarantined,” she can be heard as saying.

A senior airport official, however, told ThePrint: “There was an order from the divisional commissioner’s office that said the arriving passengers needed to be quarantined. There was some delay and this caused panic. The police took action and pacified the situation.”

The official denied the allegation that some students were escorted out without being screened and were home-quarantined based on their status.

Condition of quarantine facility ‘not good’

Brother of a student, quarantined at the Haj House, said all the students have been kept together when they should have been separated.

“They have been put in one large hall. At least 20-25 students are together. We are appealing to the authorities to do the needful. We understand that they need to be quarantined but the conditions inside are not good. Especially the bathrooms are in bad shape,” said the brother, who didn’t want to be named.

On the allegation that quarantine facilities are shabby, a senior Jammu and Kashmir administration official said authorities concerned are ensuring that all precautions are taken for the well-being of the students.

“The concerns of the parents are being looked into. The UT administration is working tirelessly to ensure the well-being of each and every citizen,” said the official.


Also read: Kejriwal govt orders Delhi restaurants to shut shop with immediate effect until 31 March


 

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15 COMMENTS

  1. Why is this agency always speaking in a pathetic and overly inaccurate manner. It is always efficient for people comming from other countries to be quarantined for the safety of the local people. We have seen gross negligence by people returning from foreign countries and defying home quarantine rules by travelling in public transport. It is better that authorities ensure that home quarantine is followed to contain its spread.
    Violence is never justified but this publication is always skeptical of indian authorities.
    They are the ones who have to put forth every day away from families to ensure safety.

  2. Cash paid to jihadis in Kashmir for admission in Bangladesh makes them deserve thrashing.
    I think students must be let loose in Kashmir they deserve God’s punishment for killing and looting their teachers and neighbours the kashmiri pandits. They deserve the worst.

  3. Dear sirs
    Kindly refrain from giving stray and unfounded blames upon a particular community for what is happening across the world.what happened at Srinagar airport is a matter and allegation of discrimination between the two groups of students i e one group belonging to VIP families and one to …..! .If at all it is a fact which i hope authorities will entire into , the law will take its own course .
    The cornovirus is a curse of nature and let us defeat it by joining our hands irrespective of caste and religion.
    Last but least i sincerely request you all to just consider as to how this ugly disease started and what are the reasons .This too we can do together .
    Stay safe and follow the rule of social distancing .
    I honestly love you all

  4. The medical authorities at the Airport requested the students to cooperate for the quarantine process to which they did not agree and started protesting, breaking window/glass panes of the Airport arrival area…
    Why this agency always reports wrong.

    • Dear Sankara sir
      No one has a right to cause any damage to public property.I share your concern .Seems you were available on spot .
      Unfortunate on the part of those students.

  5. Why dear ThePrint…your article does nothing except going length and breadth to justify the violent mentality of these “muslim” students, even at times when govt. is trying its best to contain this pandemic requiring public cooperation. Plus I couldn’t help noticing the fact that this article was written by Azaan Javaid (a muslim brethren I suppose). Bloody Shame on You!

    • Why do you always target Muslims? Cause I don’t get. Amid all these tensions and fake reports, people like you always find a way to contribute in the chaos by targeting a certain community. Shame on you!

      • Dear Shaun Cooper,
        These folks from victim community are danger to their own community and others. Stop playing victim and stop creating victims out of criminals.

    • You are bloody religious bigot Why you filthy communal shameless bigots bring religion in between and attack anything Muslim Shame on you you coward to your dismay we are here we will be here you and others like you with filthy mentality go and jump in the river

  6. They feel nrc have started. Poor madarsa chhap. If corona spread all over indian even in the print office also reason will be only muslim and this fake news writer. They reject for testing and fought with staff after that police came and control them. Why you idiots writing fake.

  7. Pathetic on the Part of these so called MBBS Students ! Its shame for them ,knowing that entire world is suffering from pandemic, what wrong Govt authoriyies did by putting them for retest and under Qurentine !! . .Anyway they are back home and this measure 8s not for them but for their families and entire community …Everytime such people try to politicize and want to defame the system.

  8. Complain, complain, whine, whine. End of Story. False sense of entitlement, victimhood, suspicion. Pursuining MBBS but utter lack of any understanding or any scientific temperament. Travelling together, waiting together but want separate rooms for quarantine. Surely their toilets at Dhaka Med College would have been Five Star.

  9. Why families can not be more patient? After all, whole arrangement is for safeguarding students and community.
    Lack of discipline is the bane of Indians, should government use Wuhan procedures for safety?

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