New Delhi, Sept. 12 :    New Delhi, Sept. 12:  A Central intelligence operative was recently tortured by some students of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) and a word which does not concern his faith was 'engraved' on his back with a drilling machine, an Intelligence Bureau (IB) report has revealed. On September 7, Aligarh-based Rajen Sharma, an inspector-level operative of the Subsidiary Intelligence Bureau, ventured into the varsity campus to inquire into the suspected involvement of some students behind last month's bomb blast on the Sabarmati Express. Eight people had died in the explo- sion. Sharma's queries led a section of students to believe that he was more interested in tracing the antecedents of a colleague, Mobeen Ahmed. The enraged students then grabbed Sharma and took him inside a room in Habib Hall where, according to the IB report from the Subsidiary Intelligence Bureau headquarters in Lucknow, he was beaten up and tortured before a drilling machine was used to engrave the word on his back. Sharma, who had to have multiple stitches, is still undergoing medical treatment at the Agra Civil Hospital. The IB report says that AMU registrar S.M. Afzal, an Indian Police Service officer, 'connived' with the students and took no action against the 'perpetrators' although he was present in the room where Sharma was tortured and the word engraved on his person. '...Afzal, despite being the registrar, not only made no effort to protect Sharma but remained a spectator to the assault and torture by remaining outside the room where the officer was stripped naked and students allowed to perpetrate the crime without any hindrance,' says the report, which has been sent to Union home minister L.K. Advani. The report further adds: 'In fact, Afzal was noticed instigating the students by advising them to get a statement of their liking and interest signed by Sharma under duress. It was he who had asked the students to insist on a press conference to expose the whole 'game plan'.' A North Block official said the incident was serious and the report is being studied carefully. More details on Afzal's conduct are being gathered by the home ministry, which is the cadre-controlling authority of IPS officers. The IB is convinced Afzal played a key role in inciting passions on the campus after Sharma was cornered and beaten up by the students. Home ministry officials insist Sharma was 'doing his duty' and that the SIB or police would not enter the campus unless they had accurate information. The ministry is now planning to initiate strict action against the AMU registrar and will also get in touch with the human resources development ministry to find out what steps can be taken in view of the tense atmosphere in AMU. The students alleged that the state administration and the IB were 'questioning our patriotism on the basis of religion'. They said they were not against any inquiries, but the manner in which Sharma entered the campus and went about 'investigating' the alleged role of some students in the Sabarmati Express blast indicated a religious bias. Moreover, they claimed, the probe was being carried out to malign the institution and bring 'disrepute' to it. The Uttar Pradesh administration has begun an inquiry into the attack on Sharma. Police yesterday issued notices for attaching the properties of about a dozen students responsible for torturing the intelligence operative.