A Muslim woman was arrested and her son detained on Saturday after he allegedly brought beef in his school tiffin and allegedly forced two Hindu classmates to eat it in Assam’s Goalpara district, The Times of India reported on Sunday.
The mother, who had cooked the meal, was charged with criminal conspiracy, wrongful restraint, deliberate and malicious intention of outraging religious sentiments and criminal acts done by several persons, the newspaper quoted the police as saying.
The first information reports were filed based on complaints by the families of the Hindu students.
The incident occurred at a higher secondary school in Krishnai town on Friday and sparked tensions in the communally sensitive district, according to the newspaper.
Private consumption of beef is permitted in Assam. It is prohibited in public spaces such as restaurants and at community events.
The police were questioning four other Muslim students who also allegedly tried to feed beef to their classmates, The Indian Express reported.
The four boys and the student who has been detained could be expelled, according to the newspaper. A decision would be taken at a meeting of the School Management Development Committee on Tuesday.
Mustafizur Rahman, the father of one of the four students, claimed that the boy who has been detained had brought beef biryani in his tiffin and shared it with his Muslim classmates, including his son.
The boy had also offered it to two other Hindu classmates, Rahman stated.
“He had only offered the rice, not the meat,” he told Scroll. “The Hindu classmates didn’t eat and ran towards the teacher’s office.”
Rahman added: “The headmaster heard the matter and resolved it. He had asked them not to tell this to their parents. However, the Hindu students told their parents and the [Hindutva group] Bajrang Dal and RSS [Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh] people got to know.”
Hindutva groups held a protest the following day, after which the mother was arrested and the boy was detained, he added.
The school has directed that only vegetarian food be brought in tiffins, The Indian Express reported.
The newspaper quoted District Commissioner Prodip Timung as having directed the inspector of schools that “students should at most be allowed to bring eggs to school” and that fish should not be allowed.
Inputs from Rokibuz Zaman. Edited by Sneha.
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