Varanasi: A shocking incident of alleged caste-based harassment and assault has come to light from Banaras Hindu University (BHU), where a student leader affiliated with the Samajwadi Chhatra Sabha has been arrested for allegedly slapping and abusing a fellow student after asking his caste.
According to police officials, the accused, Himanshu Yadav, who serves as the president of the Samajwadi Chhatra Sabha’s BHU unit, allegedly confronted Prashant Mishra, a second-year master’s student in the Hindi department, on Wednesday morning at around 11:45 a.m. The incident reportedly took place within the university premises.
As per the complaint filed by Mishra, Yadav stopped him upon his arrival at the department and questioned him about his academic course and caste. When Mishra initially questioned the relevance of such a query, Yadav allegedly insisted. Upon learning that Mishra belonged to the Brahmin caste, the accused reportedly became aggressive, hurled casteist abuses, and slapped him. The victim further alleged that he was also given death threats.
The entire incident was reportedly captured on CCTV cameras installed in the department premises, which later served as crucial evidence in the case. Following the altercation, Mishra approached the Lanka police station and filed a formal complaint.
Confirming the development, Station House Officer Rajkumar Sharma stated that an FIR was registered based on the victim’s complaint and available video evidence. Acting swiftly, the police arrested the accused and initiated further legal proceedings.
