Hijab row: Police register 3 FIRs in connection with Mangaluru college confrontation

Mangaluru: While the Karnataka High Court is yet to announce its verdict on the ban on Hijab in educational institutions case, three cases have been registered in Mangaluru post the confrontation between two groups of students over wearing Hijab during the examination.

"Three FIRs have been registered after a confrontation broke out between two groups on Thursday over allowing few girls to appear to appear for the internal examinations wearing hijab," said N Shashi Kumar, City Police Commissioner, Mangaluru on Tuesday.

Kumar said that "one case is registered on the complaint of a girl student against some students and 15 ABVP members for threatening and hurting her religious sentiments."

"The second case has been registered on the complaint of a girl student (against the complainant of the first case) and six other on the charges of threatening and intimidation," said Police Commissioner.

"The third FIR is also filed on the complaint of one of the student," police officer said.

Controversy around Hijab in educational institutions came to light recently in Karnataka after some students of Government Girls PU college in the Udupi district started protesting in January against the school administration for allegedly barring them from attending classes.

During the protests, some students claimed they were denied entry into the college for wearing hijab.

Following this incident, students of different colleges arrived at Shanteshwar Education Trust in Vijayapura wearing saffron stoles. The situation was the same in several colleges in the Udupi district.

The pre-University education board had released a circular stating that students can wear only the uniform approved by the school administration and no other religious practices will be allowed in colleges.