Nalanda's Inter examinees go on the rampage

BIHARSHARIF: Enraged Intermediate examinees, who boycotted the exam of chemistry paper I at different centres here on Monday, indulged in arson at Nalanda College and ransacked Allama Iqbal College where they made an attempt to throw additional collector Rishikesh Prasad Shrivastava into his Tata Sumo vehicle after setting it on fire.
The police made lathicharge and fired several rounds in the air to quell the violence.Two students received minor injuries in the lathicharge. The police have taken 12 persons into custody.
On getting information, Shrivastava rushed to Allama Iqbal College with a police force. The enraged mob instead of being pacified set his Tata Sumo on fire and even tried to throw him into the blazing vehicle. Shrivastava was, however, rescued by the police which fired about 15 rounds in the air. Nalanda DM Anand Kishore and SP Amit Lodha reached there after some time and brought the situation under control. Monday was the fifth day of Intermediate exam. The disturbance started at Nalanda College when the exam was to commence at 10 am.
As many benches had been damaged by examinees in violence on Saturday, some examinees were asked to sit on carpets. But the examinees protested against it and set on fire all the carpets. On information, the DM and the SP went to Nalanda College and tried to pacify the examinees. But as soon as they left the college, the examinees, opposing strict measures taken by the administration to prevent use of unfair means, went on the rampage, setting on fire many benches and breaking other furniture and fixtures of the geography department.
Thereafter, they damaged a passing private bus which was on way to Barbigha. The police made lathicharge and opened fire in the air to control the situation there. Later, the students moved to Sardar Patel College where they tore the answersheets of examinees and damaged the chairs and tables of the college. The police made lathicharge there too. The agitating students then went to Allama Iqbal College which was ransacked by them. They tore the question papers and answersheets of examinees and broke the benches and chairs of the college.
After the violence subsided, exam was conducted at the KST College, Kisan College, Sogra College and Sadanand College centres here, but the attendance of examinees was very poor.
The DM blamed the "education mafia" for the agitation and violence in the name of examinees. The DM and the SP said that they would get an inquiry made into the whole affair and that the main culprits would be booked. The DM said reexamination would be held for such examinees who have failed to appear in different papers due to disturbances, adding that additional police force sent from Patna would be deployed at different exam centres here on Tuesday.