Four Kashmiri students studying in an institute in Baghpat district were beaten up by locals during an exhibition in their college, allegedly over an incident of eve-teasing.

The students have denied the allegations, and are learnt to have returned to their native place in Doda district of Jammu & Kashmir.

The incident took place on Tuesday night. The police said there was a brawl inside the college on Tuesday night but the eve teasing charge was not true.

According to Baghpat Superintendent of Police Shailesh Kumar Pandey, a brawl started during the exhibition on Tuesday night when a student unintentionally touched the hands of a girl participating in the event.

Enraged by this, her family members thrashed a group of students which included the Kashmiri boys too. He said no FIR was lodged by any side.

The institute in question is located on the Delhi-Saharanpur highway and has 90 Kashmiri students pursuing their studies there under the Deendayal Upadhyay Gramin Kaushal Vikas Yojana.

Chairman Nagendra Goel said four Kashmiri students had gone back to their native place after the incident. “They will be back to their studies soon as we will have talks with their families and ensure their safety,” he said.

According to the police, however, only one student has gone back home. An exhibition and fete had been going on college for four days where some girls had put up stalls.

On Tuesday night, some students allegedly teased the girls after which a brawl started and family members of the girls thrashed them up, injuring some of them.

Denying the charges of eve-teasing, injured Kashmiri student Aakib Hussain said he had gone to see the exhibition along with his friends. He alleged that some people first sought to see their identity cards and started beating them after knowing that they were Kashmiris.

The students then staged a protest. Aakib said he felt unsafe in Baghpat and wanted to return to Kashmir.

Meanwhile, police have been deployed in the college to ensure the safety of all students, and efforts are on to identify those who confronted the Kashmiri students.