Author: Times News Network
Publication: Times of India
Date: September 14, 2001
AGRA: In probably the first instance
of its kind here, suspected militants on Thursday shot at and injured a
class IV student of the Holy Public School and left a note warning India
not to support the US following the carnage in New York's World Trade Center.
"Otherwise, no Hindu will survive
(in India),"the note inscribed in Hindi on the notebook of one of the students
added. The note carried "Mujahideen" at the end.
Deputy inspector-general of police
(Agra range) R.R. Bhatnagar told Times News Network that the matter was
being investigated from "every angle" and the miscreants would be brought
to book.
The police had some difficulty as
the incident took place after the school was over and most of the students
had left for home.
Akshaya Sikarvar, aged nine, was
hit by a bullet that grazed through his body, causing two parallel lacerated
wounds. He was treated at a private nursing home and was stated to be out
of danger. However, the school had thin attendance on Friday.
Sanjay Tomar, principal of the Sikandra
wing of the Holy Public School, said he first thought it to be a gimmick
played by some anti-social elements. But when he came to know about the
firing as well as the warning note, he along with the principals of other
convent schools jointly reported the matter to the authorities.
He said the students had noticed
a suspicious looking white Maruti car occupied by two to four persons parked
near the gate of the school from which a pistol shot was fired. The car
had tinted glasses because of which the students could not identify its
occupants.
Following the incident, district
magistrate Kumar Kaushal ordered tightening of security around all educational
institutions in the city.
