A Kashmiri student in BITS Pilani was forced to abandon his course after some unidentified people scribbled threats on his shirts and te door of his hostel room. According to reports, the student immediately left the hostel and returned to his home in Bandipore, Kashmir.
According to a News18 report, the student has been identified as Hashim Sofi, a Junior Research Fellow (JRF) in the Pharmacy, Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), used to stay at Maliya Bhavan Hostel. Before leaving for Kashmir, Sofi reported the incident to BITS authorities.
On April 22, Sofi reportedly said that he was shocked to see the threats written on his shirt he had left to dry in the open, and the door. He said that the abuses shocked him, following which he reported the matter to the warden and guide.
The warden and guide told Sofi to focus on his studies, but he couldn’t reconcile with the issued threats. Sofi had been in the institute for the past 20 days only, and had to cut short his studies after the incident.
After the incident, Sofi’s parents suggested that his life is more important than the livelihood or career, and that he should work harder to get admission in a “safe” and preferably a foreign university.
The BITS Pilani management has issued a statement in which it said that the authorities have taken a very serious note of the incident and have asked the standing committee on student affairs to further investigate the matter and report back swiftly.
The incident comes after Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh urged chief ministers across the states to reach out to Kashmiri students, thereby, also ensuring their security. The home ministry has also set up a 24/7 helpline.
Chief Minister of Rajasthan Vasundhara Raje had assured support and wrote on Twitter that “Kashmiri students are our children. Police have taken prompt action and apprehended the culprits.
