ABVP, BJYM leaders held for attacking students at Valsad college hostel over Matki-phod clash

Dharampur town police arrested the six persons, all outsiders, on rioting and other charges in an FIR lodged based on the complaint filed by one of the injured students of Vanraj Arts and Commerce College in Dharampur. (File photo)

Six persons, including three office-bearers of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and a Bharatiya Janata Youth Morcha (BJYM) leader, were arrested on Wednesday for allegedly beating up and injuring five students at a college hostel in Gujarat’s Valsad district over a quarrel that occurred between two groups during a Matki Phod event held on the campus a day earlier, September 3.

Dharampur town police arrested the six persons, all outsiders, on rioting and other charges in an FIR lodged based on the complaint filed by one of the injured students of Vanraj Arts and Commerce College in Dharampur.

The arrested persons have been identified as Manan Patel (district convenor of ABVP), Jaydeep Pawar (ABVP Kaprada taluka convenor), Rohan Patel (ABVP secretary of Dharampur town) and Prakash Bhoya (BJP youth Morcha vice president of Valsad) and Harsh  Thakker and Prem Mahala, all residents of Valsad district.

Traditionally Matki-phod (breaking of the clay pot)  is a team sport held a day after Janmashtami to symbolise infant Lord Krishna’s fondness for butter in which a pot filled with curd is suspended over a height and then broken by one person who climbs up a human pyramid to reach it.

Vanraj Arts and Commerce College organised the event on September 3, a day before the Janmashtami holiday, and students formed a human pyramid to break the pot. Meanwhile, a group of students who reside in the hostels reached the spot and clashed over who would break the pot.

The verbal duel turned so aggressive that police arrived on the campus to separate both the groups and bring the situation under control.

The following day, on September 4, a group of students accompanied by leaders and members of the ABVP and BJYM, armed with wooden sticks and other weapons, reached the hostel and allegedly attacked those students with whom they had a fight.

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Five students of Vanraj College hostel were injured and hospitalised. Based on the complaint by one of the injured students, an FIR was registered at the Dharampur town police station, charging the group for rioting and voluntarily causing hurt with weapons, on September 5.

“There was an issue among the hostel students and others during the Matki-phod event in the college. The college principal called us after seeing the situation going out of control. We reached the campus and separated the fighting students. The principal, meanwhile, suspended the Matki phod event. We warned both the groups and settled the issue. However, on the of September 4, a group of college students along with outsiders  reached the hostel and attacked six students with whom they had spat on September 3,” Dharampur police inspector N Z Bhoya told The Indian Express.

“We have arrested six accused persons in connection with the attack on students at the college hostel. The condition of the injured students is said to be stable now. We are also searching for other students who were involved in the incident,” Bhoya added.

© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd

Kamal Saiyed is a senior Correspondent for The Indian Express, providing extensive, on-the-ground coverage from Surat and the broader South Gujarat region and the Union territories of Daman, Diu & Dadra Nagar Haveli. With a reporting career at the publication spanning back to 2007, he has established himself as a high-authority voice on the industrial, social, and political pulse of one of India’s fastest-growing urban hubs. Expertise Industrial & Economic Beat: Based in the "Diamond City," Saiyed offers expert reporting on the diamond and textile industries. His work tracks global market shifts (such as De Beers production changes), local trade policies, and the socio-economic challenges facing the millions of workers in Surat’s manufacturing hubs. Civic & Infrastructure Coverage: He consistently reports on urban development and public safety in Surat, including: Traffic & Urban Planning: Monitoring the city's 13-fold increase in traffic violations and the implementation of new municipal drives. Public Safety: Investigative reporting on infrastructure failures, fire safety NOC compliance in schools and commercial buildings, and Metro rail progress. Political Reporting: Tracking the shifting dynamics between the BJP, Congress, and AAP in South Gujarat and the neighboring Union Territories (Daman, Diu, and Dadra & Nagar Haveli). Crime beat: Armed with a good source network Saiyed has been able to bring out the human side of crime stories in his region ... Read More

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