On the night of December 25, Banaras Hindu University (BHU) witnessed chaos as a confrontation erupted between some students and the university’s Proctorial Board. Reports suggest that the incident involved members of the Bhagat Singh Chhatra Morcha, who were allegedly attempting to burn a copy of the Manusmriti, a revered ancient scripture.

The incident took a legal turn the next day when the Lanka Police registered a case citing charges of assaulting security personnel, inciting religious sentiments, and attempting to destroy the Manusmriti on university premises. Among the accused, 10 students were initially apprehended, followed by the arrest of three more. This brought the total to 13 students, including three females, all of whom were presented in court and subsequently placed under judicial custody.

Adding a significant dimension to the investigation, a team from the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) arrived at the Lanka police station to interrogate the accused and probe possible links to urban Naxal movements.

The identities of the offenders have been disclosed as follows: Mukesh Kumar (BA Hons), Sandeep Jaiswal, Amar Sharma, Laxman Kumar, Arvind, Shubham Kumar, Avinash, Adarsh, Arvind Pal (MA Hindi), Anupam Kumar (Research Student, Philosophy), Ipshita Agarwal (MSc Psychology), Siddi Tiwari (MA Sociology), and Katyayani B. Reddy (BA Hons). Notably, Ipshita Bhagat Singh, one of the accused, holds the position of Joint Secretary in the Bhagat Singh Chhatra Morcha. According to the Lanka Police, all the individuals involved are associated with this organization.

The series of events was initiated by a complaint filed by BHU Chief Proctor Prof. SP Singh on December 25. In his statement to the police, he described the actions of the students as part of a preplanned conspiracy aimed at disturbing religious sentiments and attempting to burn the Manusmriti at the Arts Faculty intersection on campus. When members of the Proctorial Board tried to defuse the tension and disperse the crowd, the situation escalated. The accused allegedly attacked university security guards and vandalized property, causing significant disruption to government work.

The confrontation turned violent, leaving two female security guards with serious injuries. The incident has since sparked widespread concern, as investigations delve deeper into the motives and affiliations of those involved.

Inspector Sivakant Mishra of the Lanka police station confirmed that on the night of December 25, a formal complaint was lodged by the Chief Proctor Office of Banaras Hindu University (BHU). The complaint detailed a series of events where students allegedly created unrest with the intent to burn the Manusmriti and provoke religious sentiments within the university campus. Despite attempts by the university’s security personnel to diffuse the situation and remove the students from the area, the group reportedly retaliated by assaulting security guards, damaging university property, and interfering with government activities.

The violence left two female security staff members with injuries severe enough to require medical attention. They are currently undergoing treatment at the BHU Trauma Center. Following the escalation of the incident, police officers promptly arrived at the scene, arrested the involved students, and initiated legal proceedings.

As investigations deepen, revelations from the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) have added another layer of complexity. According to ATS officials, some of the accused students are under scrutiny for suspicious activities. A female student among the arrested had previously been questioned by a team from the National Investigation Agency (NIA), indicating potential connections to other controversial movements. The accused students have been interrogated to uncover the motives behind their actions, which authorities believe were preplanned and aimed at disrupting public harmony.

This case has also drawn attention to a similar controversy brewing in Sitamarhi, Bihar. A video allegedly showing the burning of the Manusmriti has surfaced, sparking outrage on social media. The Sitamarhi Police provided updates on this incident via X (formerly known as Twitter), stating, “A person named Jai Sarraf, who is allegedly a resident of Sitamarhi district, is posting a video of burning Hindu scripture Manusmriti on social media. It could vitiate the atmosphere. The Superintendent of Police (Sitamarhi) has taken note of the information and instructed the district’s multiple police stations to confirm it.”

Authorities are treating these incidents with urgency, as such actions hold the potential to disrupt communal harmony. Police in Sitamarhi have been tasked with investigating the authenticity of the video and taking necessary action against the individuals involved.