Thirteen students who were arrested on charges of attempting to burn the Manusmriti at Banaras Hindu University (BHU) were granted bail on January 11, 2025. The following day, on Sunday, the students organised a press conference under the banner of the Bhagat Singh Students Morcha at Paradkar Bhawan in Maidagin. It is to be noted that the arrested students were The arrested individuals—Mukesh Kumar, Sandeep Jaiswal, Amar Sharma, Arvind Pal, Anupam Kumar, Lakshman Kumar, Avinash, Arvind, Shubham Kumar, Adarsh, Ipsita Agarwal, Siddhi Tiwari, and Katyayani B. Reddy.
During the event, advocate Prem Prakash Singh Yadav criticised the arrests, stating that the detention of the students was entirely illegal. As per the report of Amar Ujala, Advocate Yadav alleged that their incarceration violated Supreme Court guidelines and fundamental human rights. Advocate Yadav further highlighted discrepancies in the police records, pointing out that while three female students were apprehended on the evening of December 25, the first information report (FIR) misleadingly listed the arrest date as December 26. He assured that legal action against the officers involved in the arrest would be pursued.
Akanksha Azad, the president of the Bhagat Singh Students Morcha, addressed the press, emphasising the organisation’s long-standing commitment to fighting for democratic rights and challenging the unjust policies of the BHU administration over the past decade. She recalled an incident from the previous year, where the university and district administration allegedly shielded the accused in a gang rape case involving an IIT-BHU student. She stated that the Morcha’s persistent efforts had led to the arrest of all three perpetrators, which had exposed their organisation to retaliation. Azad argued that the recent arrests in the Manusmriti case were a part of this vendetta by the authorities.
Civil society representative SP Rai questioned the university’s apparent contradiction, noting that while BHU grants fellowships for research on the Manusmriti, it penalises discussions around the text within its premises. Rai expressed solidarity with the students, affirming that civil society stands firmly by their side. Several activists and supporters, including Ipsita, Siddhi, Katyayani, Sandeep, and Mukesh, also participated in the press conference.
The Bhagat Singh Students Morcha had announced plans for another press conference to further address the fabricated charges levelled against the students. Advocate Prem Prakash Yadav reiterated that the allegations were baseless and made with malicious intent.
Background of the incident
The arrests of 13 individuals, including three women, associated with the Bhagat Singh Students Morcha (BSM), stem from an incident at Banaras Hindu University (BHU) on December 26, 2024. The BSM, a Marxist student organisation, had convened a discussion on December 25 to observe Manusmriti Dahan Divas, commemorating Dr. B.R. Ambedkar’s symbolic burning of the Manusmriti in 1927 as a stand against caste discrimination. This event, held at the Arts Faculty, was disrupted by university officials and security personnel, leading to a confrontation. The students were accused of planning to burn copies of the Manusmriti and were forcibly detained.
The following day, an FIR (No. 523/2024) was filed against 13 BSM members by BHU Security Officer Omprakash Tiwari and Assistant Security Officer Hasan Abbas Zaidi. The FIR alleged that the students engaged in violent and disruptive activities, including pushing and assaulting security staff, during their gathering near the Arts Faculty Square. Among those arrested were nine current students and four alumni. They were charged under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, including assault or use of criminal force to deter a public servant, outraging religious feelings through deliberate acts, rioting and attempting to commit culpable homicide.
The complaint had alleged that on December 25, a group of 20–25 BSM members gathered near the Arts Faculty at 5:30 PM with the intent to burn the Manusmriti. When approached by security personnel, the students reportedly misbehaved, assaulted guards, and caused injuries to two women security staff, Shipra Mishra and Shikha Mishra, who were hospitalised at the BHU Trauma Centre. The FIR further claims the students’ actions disrupted public harmony.
The arrested individuals were taken into custody by the Lanka Police Station. They were subsequently sent to 14-day judicial custody by the Varanasi District Court and are currently held at District Jail, Chaukaghat.
Reports from students had alleged significant misconduct during their detention. It is claimed that participants were physically assaulted, their clothing torn, and personal belongings damaged. The Proctorial Board and police allegedly issued threats, warning of repercussions for their academic and professional futures. Detainees were held overnight without access to legal counsel and reportedly beaten in custody, sustaining injuries.
As they were transported to the jail, the students protested by chanting slogans such as “Manusmriti Murdabad,” “Inquilab Zindabad,” “Jai Bhim,” and “Stop violence against students,” underscoring their resistance to what they described as state repression. The charges against the 13 individuals carried a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
A detailed report may be read here.
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