Hill Post Himachal Pradesh University President Shikha Chauhan, five others, arrested

Himachal Pradesh University President Shikha Chauhan, five others, arrested

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May 2, 2009

By: Ravinder Makhaik

Shimla: Police took Shikha Chauhan, president Students Central Association (SCA) Himachal Pradesh University (HPU), and five others into detention on Saturday on charges of assault and preventing government servants from performing their duty.

Six persons which include Shikha Chauhan, Mohinder Singh Rana, Naresh Sarwal, Manish Sharma, Surinder Veram and Jasbir have been arrested, said a Bouilganj police station spokesman.

These students were detained on the basis of a complaint about assaulting teaching faculty members who were holding classes over the past two days and were forcibly prevented from doing their duty, police said.

Charges attracting Section 353, 147, 149, 188 and 506 of Indian Penal Code have been imposed on the students detained, he added.

Earlier in the day, the university expelled two students who were marked out for conduct probation.

Dominated by SFI, the university SCA has been agitating for the past 37 days by resorting to a chain hunger strike in support of their demands.

The demands include increasing hostel accommodation for girl students, doing away with alleged illegal recruitments in Integrated Institute of Himalaya Studies, providing internet connectivity on campus, stocking of new books in the library and removing restriction on two students who were put under conduct probation.

Led by SCA, two days ago , a no education day was allegedly enforced upon the students community on the campus that had ruffled some faculty members. Agitating students had even resorted to road blockade on the campus.