Kanpur, The Uttar Pradesh Minorities Commission has called for disciplinary action against Railway Protection Force (RPF) officials involved in the detention of several madrasa students at a Kanpur railway station. The commission’s intervention follows allegations of religious discrimination after the students, despite having valid travel documents, were held without basic necessities and later transferred to a juvenile facility.

According to Kashmir Media Service, the incident occurred on April 24 when the students were detained for eight hours without food or water. Following this, they were sent to Kanpur’s Child Reform Home for seven days. The arrest was reported to have stemmed from a complaint by the principal of Madrasa Islamia in Ghatampur, who stated that the students were targeted based on their appearance and names.

The commission’s chairman, Ashfaq Saifee, highlighted the failure of RPF officials to respond adequately to the commission’s inquiries. Sub-Inspector Amit Dwivedi, who appeared before the commission on May 15, did not provide a satisfactory explanation or report concerning the incident. A subsequent hearing on May 28 saw no representatives from the Railways present, prompting further criticism of their handling of the case.

The students involved, including Rahbar Alam, Sahib Babu, and Muhammad Nafees, were reportedly traveling from Bihar to Kanpur after their madrasa holidays when they were unjustly detained. The principal of their madrasa has emphasized the significant disruption to their studies and violation of their constitutional rights due to the actions of the RPF.

The case has raised serious concerns regarding the conduct of law enforcement personnel and the need for accountability in protecting the rights of minority communities in India.