SRINAGAR: A Communications studies student wrote his examination with a cop holding the chain that handcuffed him on Thursday. Tragically, he was writing the examination for the subject “Peace building and conflict mitigation”, an open elective subject in the social works department.

(Communications studies student waiting outside the examination hall in University of Kashmir)

Identified as Tahir Hussain Mir, he is an orphan whose police constable father Habibullah Mir was killed in the line of duty in 2000. He is a resident of Bandipore.

His classmates told Kashmir Life that he was arrested a few days before his first semester examinations started. He is reportedly facing more than a dozen FIRs.

Mir is enrolled in the Kashmir University’s post graduate department for communication and journalism.

His classmates said that his examination was scheduled to be held at 11 am in the Sociology department building but the cops got him to the centre almost half an hour late. Though they were unsure where Mir was actually imprisoned under Public Safety Act, some of his classmates said he was earlier in Kot Balwal but has been shifted to Srinagar, probably for the examinations.

(Quick talk: Tahir talking to his friends after the examination as cops are pushing him away to jail)

“He was handcuffed and escorted by 6 policemen; two of them with guns,” one of his classmates wrote on a social networking website. “Some stayed outside, as of putting a cordon around the place like he was a ‘criminal’ planning to run! One of the policemen sat alongside him in examination hall, holding the handcuffs as he wrote his paper of ‘Peace building and conflict mitigation.’ Call it irony? Nah! “

Those who witnessed Mir coming for the examination said a number of classmates had assembled outside the examination centre to say hello to him. “They barely gave him five minutes,” one student said. “Even some teachers tried hard to ward off his classmates and friends who had assembled outside to meet him but couldn’t.”

Tahir’s father was killed in a militant attack in April 2000. He was a driver in police. Almost half a year later, his wife died. Interestingly, Mir’s sister is pursuing her post graduation in the University of Kashmir. She also waited outside the examination hall to see her bother, who was sacked last year from the position of a laboratory bearer.

Note: Photographs used in this copy were clicked by the students and posted on Facebook

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