Four Kashmiri students arrested in India over false claims of cooking beef

CHITTORGARH: Four Kashmiri students were arrested in Rajasthan, India on Monday following rumours they were cooking beef.

A mob gathered outside the students’ rooms at a Rajasthan university after suspecting they were cooking beef and they were later arrested for questioning.

"Somebody complained to the warden that we were cooking beef, but it was not beef it was meat...When we heard a mob had gathered outside our rooms, we hid inside.  The next day the police took us for questioning and treated us well," Saqib Ashraf, one of the students arrested, said.



"The university also supported us. We are not scared now," he added.

The young engineering students were released after they gave a written guarantee that they would not "disturb peace". However, the police later confirmed that the meat was not beef.

Their arrest caused resentment on campus and several policemen are still patrolling the area. Around 900 of the 5,000-odd students at the university are from Indian-held Kashmir.

Eating beef is illegal in Rajasthan and the Mewar University, like many other universities in the state don't allow any non-vegetarian food.

"It is difficult to be non-vegetarian on a vegetarian campus but I don't want to get into all that now. I am here to study," said Shaukat Ali, another student who was arrested.

The police defended the arrests saying the situation was controlled before it could escalate.



Last year, there were a series of attacks over beef and cow slaughter rumours, including the mob killing of a man in Uttar Pradesh's Dadri, which were cited as examples of "rising intolerance" in India.

Earlier this week, sources in the home ministry confirmed that an advisory was sent in February to state governments, which said that "there is perception among the people of Jammu and Kashmir that their wards are being treated with suspicion and hostility" at colleges. The advisory asked states to "ensure the protection of students from J&K".

This article originally appeared on NDTV.