The Konanakunte Police in Bengaluru arrested six people in an incident of assault and robbery when college students attacked one another in a violent argument by students there. A student’s dispute, according to reports, led to a plot to attack, including outsiders from outside the state.
Abhinesh, a Tamil Nadu native, was reportedly a student at a private college in Bengaluru pursuing a diploma in mechanical engineering, they said. During college, he is reported to have quarrelled with a group of Kerala students. The confrontation soon escalated, and Abhinesh called his friends from Tamil Nadu to plan an attack.
Allegedly, on the evening of April 17, the alleged assailants came to Bengaluru, where they attacked a rented house at which the rival group of students lived. The group entered the house around 10:30 p.m., and the students were reported to have been attacked. At the time, seven students were in the house, and four more who also lived there were away in their hometowns.
They were identified as Irfan Mohammed, Adarsh, Darwin, Mohammed Salman, Uttarej and Basil, students of the same college where the victims were cohabiting in a rented accommodation. According to accounts, the attackers not only attacked them but also stole valuables from the house.
Four phones, two laptops, and a motorcycle were among the stolen items before the accused fled the scene, police said. A dacoity case was registered by the police, and the incident was investigated following the complaint. The Konanakunte Police then tracked the accused down in Tamil Nadu and brought them back to Bengaluru as a result.
The police arrested Abhinesh, Kalai Vendan, Vimal Raj, Kumaran, Prem Kumar and Naveen Kumar. Preliminary investigations determined that apart from Abhinesh, the other accused were educated and working professionals. The officers informed investigators that none of the suspects had a criminal record and that the arrest of such was influenced by friendship and loyalty.
The officers recovered items worth around ₹3 lakh in the operation that included two two-wheelers, four mobile phones and two laptops. Investigators are investigating what happened to see whether there were other people involved in planning the attack or carrying it out.
It has raised the issue of escalating student disputes that are growing faster, more frequent and more severe than ever to criminal activity. The police also advised students to resolve conflicts peacefully and warned against getting the law into their own hands.
