The Dr. Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University (RPCAU) at Pusa in Samastipur was closed sine die after protests and vandalism by students following death of a B.Tech student in a road accident on May 21.
The protesting students’ alleged negligence by the Primary Health Centre (PHC) on the campus caused the death of Akhil Sahu, a student from Ajmer in Rajasthan. Protesting students ransacked the PHC, the academic building, and the residence of Vice-Chancellor.
“They also set ablaze some vehicles parked inside the campus, including my car,” RPCAU Registrar P.P. Srivastava told The Hindu over phone. “Yes, after the incident the university has been closed sine die to avert any further untoward incident. It hurts us also but nothing can be done at present.”
About 1,300 students live in university’s hostel on campus.
A first information report (FIR) was lodged by the university authorities at the local Pusa Police Station against seven named and several unnamed students under several Sections of Indian Penal Code (IPC) for indulging in vandalism inside the university campus.
The protesting students demanded ₹50 lakh as compensation to the family of the student who died in the accident, and a “court monitored investigation into his death by CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) or CID (Criminal Investigation Department)”. “The university must withdraw its decision to get the hostel vacated immediately and let the students live there, and all charges filed against students too must be withdrawn,” Rajiv Kumar, a student, said. He also demanded “strict action against those authorities who misbehaved with protesting students”.
